Diagnosing Pleural Mesothelioma

Early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include a change in the voice or hoarseness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, a persistent cough, chest pain, coughing up blood, general weakness or weight loss. Symptoms of mesothelioma mimic other diseases, including lung cancer. It is critical to alert your personal physician if you have a history of asbestos exposure as this could be an early clue that malignant mesothelioma may be the diagnosis. Although not all patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma have a history of asbestos exposure, the majority of cases do report a known historical exposure to asbestos.

Benign pleural mesothelioma is generally localized and does not commonly metastasize or spread to other areas of the body. These benign mesotheliomas are typically treated surgically, with good success. Also, benign pleural mesothelioma is not usually found to be related to asbestos exposure. However, malignant pleural mesothelioma is much more common and tends to metastasize to other areas of the body, making it more difficult to treat this aggressive cancer.

Early diagnostic tests searching for a cause of symptoms may include a chest x-ray, CT scan (Computerized tomography scan), a MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan), or a PET scan (Positive Electron Tomography scan). Besides looking for a tumor, these tests will also look for thickening of the lining of the lungs, calcifications, a collection of fluid in the lungs or the abdomen and possible lymph node involvement.

To accurately diagnose pleural mesothelioma, your physician may choose to perform a thoracoscopy. With this exam, your physician will make a small incision into the chest and insert an endoscope which is a thin tube with a tiny camera or mirror attached to the end. This instrument allows for a complete examination of the lungs and the chest cavity. Your physician may also choose to perform a biopsy at the same time. A biopsy or study of tissue samples will allow for a more definitive diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Your physician may also choose to perform a bronchoscopy. With this test, your physician will use an instrument called a bronchoscope to examine the airways and the lungs. Specifically the bronchoscope looks at the throat, the larynx, the trachea, the lungs and the lower airways.