By Letha Lashley
Similar with other types of lung cancer, diagnosing pleural mesothelioma is such a complex job for doctors since symptoms do not usually take place for some time after primary asbestos exposure. Furthermore, since the indications of malignant pleural mesothelioma are distinctive to many ailments, in the premature stages of the cancer, the symptoms are frequently mistaken for less aggressive diseases such as pneumonia and influenza.
Diagnosing pleural mesothelioma is made partially on the origin of the symptoms but additional diagnostic tests are needed to confirm the presence of cancer. If the doctor suspects an asbestos-related disease, the next step for the diagnosis is testing to confirm the presence of this asbestos cancer, verify the location, size and type of the cancer involved, and to know whether the cancer has already spread to the other parts of the body.
Typical imaging tests involved are the:
* X- ray - most commonly used imaging test for the diagnosis of mesothelioma.
* Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan - it is an x-ray like procedure in which numerous x-ray pictures are taken and combined with a computer to create a thorough image of body tissues. When you undergo a CT scan, you may be given an injection of dye, which helps produce more concrete images. It may not only show the effusion but as well as the presence of pleural masses.
* Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan - this is a highly sensitive scanner that detects the metabolic signal of progressive cancer cells in the body and can help staging the cancer. Glucose solution is being controlled by an intravenous injection. Malignant cells get up and use sugars more quickly than normal cells, so they can be easily noted using the procedure.
* Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - is a combination of strong magnetic field and radio waves and is much more sensitive in determining chest wall invasion and the multiplication of the disease. It is also used to create detailed three-dimensional images that can be warily examined by a radiologist.
After diagnosing pleural mesothelioma, your physician will generally recommend an oncologist, a cancer specialist, who is well versed in treating the disease and who will help determine the best alternative for your mesothelioma treatment.
So do you have the answers to your mesothelioma questions? Or even how it is transmitted? If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, do you know your legal rights and are you receiving the best health care possible? To find out these answers and more, go right now to a-mesothelioma-guide.com and see what else you need to know to be as healthy as you can. After all, doesn't your family deserve a healthy you!
