Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Since the symptoms of mesothelioma are many times very inconclusive, correct diagnosis is necessary to determine whether you have the disease. When you visit your doctor for a diagnosis, he or she will most likely be an immediate chest or abdominal X-ray, CT scan or MRI. While mesothelioma is not visible under an x-ray, it is still a very valuable tool in the diagnosis of the disease. An X-ray image can may indicate fluid accumulation between the lung and theChest wall. This structure is an all too common signs of mesothelioma cancer.

Your doctor may also ask that you undergo a thoracoscopy. During this process, your doctor examines chest cavity with an instrument known as a thoracoscope. A cut in the chest wall can be made to a thoracoscope inserted between two ribs. Before this procedure is performed, the patient is given anesthesia for the patient from any pain prevented. A doctor can alsoperitoneoscopy, where a peritoneoscope is inserted into an incision in the abdomen.

If abnormal tissue is discovered during these two procedures, the patient may be subjected to a biopsy. In a biopsy, a piece of the abnormal tissue is removed to allow for further examination under a microscope. This test is usually done by a pathologist. The last word on the diagnosis is usually in the hands of a pathologist. He or she will report on their observationsunder the microscope.

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