How is mesothelioma found?

How is mesothelioma found?
It is not clear how useful chest x-rays or CT scans are in finding mesothelioma early, but
some doctors may advise them for people who have been exposed to asbestos.
One test being studied is a blood test. This test measures the blood levels of certain
substances that are higher in people who have mesothelioma. But right now blood tests
are used mainly to follow the course of the disease in people who are already known to
have mesothelioma.
Symptoms of mesothelioma
Most of the time mesothelioma is found when a person goes to a doctor because of
symptoms. Early symptoms are not specific to the disease, and people often ignore them
or mistake them for common, minor problems. Most people with this type of cancer have
symptoms for only a few months before the cancer is found.
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma (lining of the chest) can include:
· Pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest
· Shortness of breath
· Trouble swallowing
· Hoarseness
· Cough
· Fever
· Sweating
· Tiredness
· Weight loss
· Swelling of the face and arms
· Muscle weakness
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma (lining of the abdominal cavity) can include:
· Belly pain
· Weight loss
· Nausea and vomiting
· Fluid or swelling in the abdomen (belly)
Of course, these same symptoms can also be caused by other problems. But if you have
worked with asbestos and you have any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor right
away.
Medical history and physical exam
If you have any signs or symptoms that suggest you might have mesothelioma, your
doctor will want to take a complete medical history to check for symptoms and possible
risk factors, especially about asbestos. You will also be asked about your general health,
and the doctor will do a physical exam. The exam can help tell if you have fluid in the
chest, belly, or around the heart. This fluid can be a sign of mesothelioma.
If symptoms or the results of the exam suggest you might have mesothelioma, tests will
be needed to make sure. These might include imaging tests, blood tests, and other tests.
Imaging tests
These tests allow the doctor to see pictures of the inside of your body. They might be
done for a number of reasons, such as to help find an area that might be cancer, to learn
how far cancer has spread, and to see if treatment is working.
Chest x-ray: This is often the first test done if someone has symptoms such as a constant
cough or shortness of breath. An x-ray might show thickening of the lining of the lungs
or other changes caused by asbestos. It can also show changes that may suggest
mesothelioma.
CT scan: A CT scan (or CAT scan) is like an x-ray but it gives detailed cross-sectional
pictures of your body. Instead of taking one picture, a CT scanner takes many pictures as
it moves around you. A computer then combines these pictures to show slices of your
body.
CT scans are often used to help decide if you have mesothelioma and to help find the
exact place of the cancer. They can also help show how much the cancer has spread.
Before any pictures are taken, you may be asked to drink a liquid that helps outline your
intestines (gut). You may also get an IV (intravenous) line which is used to put a different
kind of contrast dye into your blood. This helps better outlines parts of in your body.
Some people are allergic to the dye and get hives, a flushed feeling, or -- rarely -- more
serious problems like trouble breathing and low blood pressure. Be sure to tell your
doctor if you have any allergies or have ever had a problem from any dye used for x-rays.
CT scans take longer than regular x-rays, and you need to lie still on a table while they
are being done. During the test, the table slides in and out of the scanner, a ring-shaped
machine that goes around the table. Some types of CT scans use a faster machine.
PET scan: A PET scan uses glucose (a form of sugar) that contains a radioactive
substance. Cancer cells in the body take in large amounts of the radioactive sugar and a
special camera can find these radioactive spots. This test can help tell whether a
thickening of the tissues is cancer or just scar tissue. It can also show the spread of
cancer. A PET scan can also be useful if your doctor thinks the cancer may have spread
but doesn't know where. The picture from a PET scan is not detailed, but shows the
whole body at once. Some newer machines are able to do both a PET and CT scan at the
same time.
MRI scan: This test uses radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays to take
pictures. It gives a very detailed picture of your insides. MRI scans may be useful in
looking at the thin band of breathing muscle below the lungs (the diaphragm).
Mesothelioma can spread there.
A contrast dye might be used just as with CT scans. MRI scans take longer than CT scans
-- often up to an hour. Also, you are placed inside a narrow tube, which is confining and
can upset people with a fear of enclosed spaces. The machine makes a thumping noise;
some places will give you earplugs to help block out the sound.
Blood tests
Blood levels of certain substances are often high in people with mesothelioma. They may
help show if a person likely has mesothelioma. But so far, these blood tests have proven
more useful in people who already have mesothelioma to follow their progress during
and after treatment.
If you are found to have mesothelioma, other blood tests will be done to check blood cell
counts and levels of certain chemicals in the blood. These tests can give the doctor an
idea of how much the disease has spread and how well organs like the liver and kidneys
are working.