Mesotheilioma Symptoms & Diagnosis
Mesotheilioma is a difficult disease to treat, which makes early diagnosis extremely important. Unfortunately, it is also difficult to diagnose – however, development of new diagnostic tests in recent years has made the diagnostic process somewhat easier.
Due to the difficulty of diagnosis, it’s vitally important for people with a known history of asbestos exposure to be aware of the early symptoms. Another important protective measure is regular check-ups to screen for early signs of changes in lung tissue that might lead to mesotheilioma.
Mesotheilioma Symptoms
The following general symptoms may appear in any case of mesotheilioma:
- Fatigue
- Night sweats or fever
- Weight loss with no apparent cause
Other symptoms are specific to the type of cancer involved.
Pleural mesotheilioma: difficulty swallowing, dry cough, painful breathing, shortness of breath (at rest or on exertion), severe pain near the ribs or in the chest area. Lumps may appear under the skin of the chest in later stages.
Peritoneal mesotheilioma: anemia, abdominal pain or swelling, constipation or diarrhea, and nausea or vomiting. Lumps may appear under abdominal skin in later stages.
Pericardial mesotheilioma: heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, difficulty breathing (at rest or on exertion).
Mesotheilioma Diagnosis
Diagnosis of mesotheilioma is carried out in stages. First is a medical history and physical examination, which provides information about symptoms, general health, and past medical history. If mesotheilioma is suspected at this stage, it’s important to give information about past asbestos exposure as well.
If diagnosis is not made on the basis of this information (which is the most likely scenario) the next step are diagnostic tests. These may include blood tests, tissue or fluid biopsy, and medical imaging tests such as x-rays, MRI, or PET scans. The results of these are used to make a diagnosis, and then to stage the cancer to determine how far it has advanced or spread within the body.
Tests for Mesotheilioma Diagnosis
Medical Imaging Tests
The most commonly-used medical imaging test for mesotheilioma diagnosis is the X-ray. For most people, diagnosis will include at least one x-ray, and the ongoing treatment process may involve further tests.
The CT scan involves taking multiple x-ray images. These are then used to compile a more accurate and detailed image. Often the patient is injected intravenously with a dye solution before the scan, to produce images with higher contrast and greater accuracy.
Before a patient undergoes a PET scan, they are injected with a radioactive glucose solution, because malignant cells take up glucose more quickly than healthy cells. The scan shows up deposits of cells with more glucose inside them, helping doctors determine where malignant cells are located.
In an MRI scan a combination of magnetic fields and radio waves is used to create highly detailed images. This can be an uncomfortable procedure, as it involves an hour or longer spent in a somewhat confined space, but it is not painful.
Tissue and Fluid Biopsy Tests
One of the most common symptoms of mesotheilioma is fluid build-up in the affected area. A fine needle aspiration uses a very long, hollow, very thin needle to withdraw a sample of the fluid that builds up between the membrane layers of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. The fluid can then be tested in the laboratory for the presence of cells or molecules that signal the existence of cancer. More refined tests can narrow down the specific type of cancer involved.
Laparoscopic surgery is a non-invasive surgical procedure used to take a tissue sample when peritoneal mesotheilioma is suspected. An instrument is inserted through a tiny incision in the abdomen, and the sample is withdrawn through the incision.
When pericardial or pleural mesotheilioma is suspected a similar procedure called a thoracoscopy may be used for diagnostic purposes. In this case the incision is made in the chest wall.
A mediastinoscopy is sometimes used to view lymph nodes in the head and neck, to help determine whether the cancer has spread.
