Mesothelioma can be mistaken for other cancers, so it is vital to have cancer diagnosed correctly as early as possible.
The basic mesothelioma diagnosis criteria are as follows: (asbestos.com)
One of the challenges of diagnosing mesothelioma is the path to diagnosis can vary among patients. Mesothelioma can mimic less serious medical conditions, so doctors may initially confuse this deadly asbestos cancer for pneumonia or another type of cancer.
It is common for pleural mesothelioma patients to be diagnosed with lung cancer or pneumonia. Peritoneal mesothelioma patients may be misdiagnosed with more common forms of abdominal cancer.
Giving your doctor your complete work history with any level of asbestos exposure is important. Your physician may not look for mesothelioma unless she knows you were exposed to the deadly substance. Also, mesothelioma can occur up to 50 years after initial exposure, so mesothelioma is often not the first disease doctors are looking for.
Standard diagnostic criteria and tests for mesothelioma include imaging scans, blood tests, and biopsies. Imaging tests such as X-rays and CT scans can identify possible mesothelioma tumors. But a tumor biopsy is the only definite way to confirm that a patient has mesothelioma. Blood tests for the cancer are used to measure how the patient is responding to treatment.
More information about imaging tests to diagnose mesothelioma:
Biopsies are essential to confirm a diagnosis for mesothelioma. Below are the types of biopsies used to confirm various cancers: (Cancer.org)
Mesothelioma blood tests, biomarkers, and immunohistochemical markers are useful but insufficient to diagnose the cancer alone. They are helpful to monitor how the patient is responding to cancer treatments: (Asbestos.com)
Staging mesothelioma is a key part of the diagnostic process, but it is challenging. Staging tells the doctor how far the cancer has progressed; this is the biggest factor in determining the treatments that are best for the patient.
The cancer stage is also a major factor in how long the patient will live after diagnosis:
Mesothelioma is diagnosed in only about 3,000 people per year, so many doctors are not trained to look for it initially:
All of these cancers can be misdiagnosed as other forms of cancer. For example, pleural mesothelioma can be misdiagnosed as a type of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma.
Peritoneal mesothelioma can be misdiagnosed as ovarian or colon cancer.
If you have an asbestos exposure history and have been diagnosed with another type of cancer, it is wise to seek a second opinion from a mesothelioma specialist. Choosing a physician and cancer center that focuses on mesothelioma can confirm your diagnosis and get you the access you need to the best treatments.
Many tests need to be performed to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis. Be sure to talk to your doctor about any asbestos exposure history you have so that he is watching for possible mesothelioma tumors. If you are diagnosed with another cancer, consider seeking a second opinion to ensure you are getting the treatment you need.
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