Mesothelioma Cancer

Diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma

When someone presents to a doctor with complaints of chest pain and/or breathlessness, the physician should seek a full history from that person -- not only about the symptoms themselves, but also about his work history, and any possible exposure to asbestos. A physical exam should be performed, and the patient referred for a chest x-ray in the first instance.

The typical abnormalities seen on chest x-ray in patients with malignant mesothelioma are a pleural effusion (a collection of fluid in the space between the two layers of the pleura), or pleural thickening.

If the chest x-ray is suggestive of malignant mesothelioma, it is likely that further investigations will be ordered, especially if compensation may be sought. These investigations may include additional imaging studies, blood tests, bone scans, and lung-function tests, as well as more invasive procedures such as thoracentesis, thoracoscopy, pleuroscopy or a lung biopsy.

The purpose of such investigations is to confirm the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, to determine the type of mesothelioma, to 'stage' the disease (measure how severe it is), and so to assess whether the disease is operable.