Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Diagnosing mesothelioma is complicated by a variety of different factors. First, there are few outward symptoms until the condition is gravely advanced. Second, the time between exposure to asbestos and manifestation of mesothelioma takes decades. Mesothelioma often continues to worsen even after exposure to asbestos has ended. Third, many of the symptoms of mesothelioma are common to a number of other less severe conditions, ranging from the common cold to seasonal allergies. Lack of symptoms, delay in condition, and misdiagnosis conspire to make mesothelioma one of the deadliest cancers.
When a doctor suspects a patient suffers from mesothelioma, X-Rays, magnetic resonance imagery (MRI), and computed axial tomography (CAT) scans are performed to view potentially hazardous conditions in various internal organs. Doctors also consider more elaborate tests if these scans prove inconclusive and to also rule out the possibility of other diseases. Depending on the location of the cancer, doctors will either measure lung elasticity and capacity to examine the extent of lung damage or study digestive tract tissue to determine if mesothelioma has spread. Fortunately, the most evasive diagnostic procedure requires only a local anesthetic and is called a thoracoscopy or a peritoneoscopy, where a small camera is inserted through a small incision in the chest or abdomen to view the amount of damage and take a small tissue sample for a biopsy.

Facing a diagnosis of mesothelioma is never easy. Even with treatment and counseling, the stress of such a condition can overwhelm even the strongest individual. The malignancy period of mesothelioma is so prolonged that by the time the patients exhibit any symptoms, treatment is usually ineffective. Average post-diagnosis survival is four to eighteen months, but sadly, fewer than half of all patients survive that long. If a victim miraculously survives past this perilous phase, the average patient lives two years, but only 20% of those endure past five years. Terminal diagnosis is a profoundly difficult situation for the victim and their families, so emotional support is imperative for those affected by a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Source : http://www.resource4mesothelioma.com/