Diagnosis of Mesothelioma

Because mesothelioma is cancer that develops upon a membrane, more often than not it develops as a diffuse form of cancer rather than as a singular mass, or tumor. A series of small tumors spread across the mesothelium membrane are much more difficult to identify with medical imaging equipment than a single tumor is. For that reason X-rays, CT scans and MRI exams usually aren’t enough for a mesothelioma diagnosis.

The most common form of the disease, pleural mesothelioma almost always causes pleural effusion, or excessive fluid accumulation, to develop as a primary symptom once the disease begins to advance. Once this condition is established the physician can draw out some of that fluid with a surgical needle to analyze the cell content in the lab. Usually a biopsy extracting a small piece of mesothelial tissue is also conducted. Analyses of these samples will generally expose the existence of malignant cells.



A similar approach is often taken with peritoneal mesothelioma, which commonly causes fluid accumulation in the abdomen. A tissue sample from the abdominal wall extracted with a laparoscope along with a fluid sample help to determine the presence of malignant cells. Analysis of kidney and liver functions and protein levels can help to eliminate other potential causes of the symptoms.
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