More About Your Mesothelioma Diagnosis

A proper diagnosis is essential before treatment begins. A doctor should be seen if a person experiences shortness of breath, pain in the chest, persistent coughing, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. The doctor may order a chest x-ray or CT scan as the first step in diagnosis. If these imaging techniques show a suspicion of cancer, further tests may be ordered.

The doctor may examine the chest cavity with an instrument called a thoracoscope. An incision is made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope will be placed inside the chest through two ribs. This test, called a thoracoscopy, is done in the hospital. Prior to the test, the patient is given a local anesthetic. Some pressure may accompany this procedure, but usually there is no pain. The doctor may also look inside the abdomen with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. This is called a peritoneoscopy. This test is also performed in the hospital with a local anesthetic. Paracentesis is a related procedure often used in diagnosis.

If, during these tests, tissue is found that is not normal, the doctor will cut out a small piece to be examined under a microscope. This is called a tissue biopsy. The tissue will then be sent to a pathologist to diagnose disease.

Stages of mesothelioma

Once you receive a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, more tests will be done to determine whether cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called "staging". Your doctor will need to know the stage of the cancer in order to plan treatment. The standard for staging mesothelioma is as follows:

Localized malignant mesothelioma

Stage I: The cancer is located in the lining of the chest cavity near the lung and heart, or in the diaphragm or the lung.

Advanced malignant mesothelioma

Stage II: The cancer has spread beyond the lining of the chest to lymph nodes in the chest.

Stage III: The cancer has spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through the diaphragm, or abdominal lining, and in some cases, into nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV: The cancer has spread to distant organs or tissues.

Recurrent malignant mesothelioma

Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back after it has been treated. It may come back in the lining of the chest or abdomen or in another part of the body.

The difference between metastatic cancer and advanced cancer.