My doctor suspects mesothelioma. If that’s what I have, how will the doctor diagnose it?

Mesothelioma must be diagnosed by biopsy. A biopsy is a sample of the tissue, which is removed and sent to a pathologist for examination.

Exactly how your doctor determines you need a biopsy depends on many things. If you have symptoms of trouble in your chest or lungs, that is what your doctor will first look at.  You could simple be visiting your regular doctor, because you are coughing, short of breath, and your chest hurts. Your doctor will examine you carefully, paying special attention to your heart and lungs. He or she will order a chest x-ray. The x-ray will be abnormal if you have a pleural mesothelioma. It may show a collection of fluid in the pleural space, between the lungs and chest wall. A one-side pleural effusion, especially in a person with asbestos exposure, will make your doctor think of mesothelioma.

Other tests might be CT scans or MRI scans of the area, which can give a better picture of where the problem is and how best to approach the area.

If you have mesothelioma in your abdomen, you will probably go to your doctor because of abdominal pain, trouble passing stool, and/or swelling and bloating of your abdominal area. Your doctor may notice some specific things when examining you. You will probably also have scans. At some point, your doctor may suspect mesothelioma or some other cancer.

In either case, your doctor will work with other doctors to make the diagnosis (see questions below). In some places, your regular doctor may send you to an oncologist, who is a cancer specialist, to make sure your case is diagnosed properly. Much of the time, your regular doctor will help you through this process.

Also See – How Mesothelioma is Diagnosed and Diagnosis