Diagnosis Of Mesothelioma
If a person is experiencing mesothelioma symptoms, the doctor will conduct a physical examination to look for unusual indicators or lumps. The doctor may also prescribe imaging scans, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan and chest X-ray, to detect tumor cells in the chest or abdomen. After collecting the results, the patient may also undertake additional testing to determine whether the symptoms are caused by mesothelioma or another disease. The following procedures are utilized to confirm the presence of mesothelioma in patients:
a biopsy
The only method to determine whether a patient has mesothelioma is through a diagnostic procedure called a biopsy, in which a small sample of the patient’s tissues is removed for laboratory analysis. The appropriate biopsy procedure for a patient with mesothelioma is selected by the specialist based on the affected body region. Options for biopsies include:
Upon penetrating the dermis with the needle:
The physician can remove a piece of tissue or fluid by inserting a small needle through the thorax or abdomen and into the skin.
Surgical collection of a tissue sample:
During an operation, the surgeon obtains tissue or fluid samples by making tiny incisions and inserting a tube into the body. The tip of the small tube contains a video camera for viewing inside the thorax or abdomen. Additionally, the physician may insert special instruments into the catheter to collect the tissue sample.
The doctor then examines the tissue sample under a microscope to determine whether or not the anomalous tissue contains mesothelioma. In order to ascertain what type of mesothelioma the patient is suffering from, the physician also examines the cell types present in the tissue sample.
