asbestos lung mesothelioma
Image Test:
A series of imaging tests are used to see if mesothelioma has spread and to locate any suspicious areas.
Chest x-ray:
Will show any abnormal areas of the pleura. Findings in a chest x-ray can suggest asbestos lung mesothelioma. If there is abnormal thickening of the pleura, calcium deposits in the pleura or fluid in the space between the lungs and the chest wall.
Computed Tomography, CT Scan:
This is capable of taking many pictures from all different angles of the inside of your body. It will show if the cancer has spread to other organs in your body. This helps asses the likelihood that mesothelioma is present and the exact location. Patients are often given a contrast dye material through an IV or orally. This helps better show the abnormal areas.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
This involves an injection of glucose that contains low amounts of radioactive materials. The cancer cells absorb the radioactive sugars and cameras are then able to capture the radioactivity in the body. This will help determine if the pleura thickening is cancer or scar tissue (link).
Magnetic resonance Imagining (MRI) scan
Similar to a CT scan but uses radio waves and magnets to obtain soft tissue images. This give a better look into the diaphragm, located just underneath the lungs.
Blood Tests
Blood levels that contain higher levels of certain substances make a diagnosis of mesothelioma more likely. Osteopontin and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP), detected with MesoMark test.
Theses blood tests are also used to follow progress during and after treatments.
Biopsy Tests of fluid and tissue samples
Removing cells from an abnormal area located in one of these many other tests and then inspecting sample under a microscope to make an actual diagnosis.
If you have fluid build up it can be removed by inserting a long hollow needle into the area to extract the fluid. This procedure has different names based on where the fluid is extracted.
Thoracentesis-chest cavity
Paracentesis-abdomen
Pericardiocentesis-sac around the heart
These fluids are looked at to determine if they contain cancer cells additional testing is done to see if they are mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer. Tested is also done to determine their chemical makeup.
Needle Biopsies
Used for suspected tumors in the chest. A small sample is taken for further analysis.
Thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, and mediastinoscopy
Thoracoscopy: This takes places in an operating room with patient under general anesthesia. In this case a sample of a pleural or pericardial is obtained. A small camera is placed through an incision made in the chest. Using this the doctor takes small pieces of tissue from the identified cancer areas.
Laparoscopy: used to view and sample of a peritoneal tumor.
Mediastinoscopy: if a test has suggested that cancer has spread to the lymph nodes between the lungs. asbestos lung Mesothelioma is often not found in this area. This will help the doctor determine Mesothelioma from lung cancer.
Surgical Biopsy:
If a larger sample is needed a more invasive procedure will occur. Thoracotomy, opens the chest cavity. Laparotomy, opens the abdominal cavity. This allows for larger samples to be taken and sometimes an entire tumor removed.
Bronchoscopic Biopsy:
For pleural mesothelioma a long thin tube is put down the throat to look at the lining of the lungs. Small samples can be taken during this procedure for further analysis.
All biopsies and fluid samples are taken to a pathology lab. Here it is determined if there is cancer present and what kind of caner it is. Even with this analysis and larger sample size asbestos lung mesothelioma is hard to diagnoses because the cells resemble lung cancer and ovarian cancer.
DNA microarray analysis: identifies patterns of genes in cancer
Immunohistochemistry: tests different proteins to help distinguish lung cancer from asbestos lung mesothelioma.
Electron Microscopy: magnifies samples 100x putting distinguishing characteristics of mesothelioma cells in view.
Pulmonary function tests:
This is to asses how well the lungs are working. Often a diagnosis will lead to surgery for partial lung removal. Lung capacity determines amount of lung that can be safely removed and if this type of surgery is an option. This test will help determine if surgery is an option and how much lung can be removed.
Symptoms of Asbestos lung mesothelioma includes:
Pain the lower back
Paine the sides of chest
Cough
Fever
Sweating
Fatigue
Weight loss
Trouble swallowing
Hoarseness
Swelling of the face and arms
Muscle weakness
It is common that pleural effusion occurs, a liquid in the chest cavity that is caused by the cancer of mesothelioma.
Comments on this entry are closed.