Mesothelioma Diagnosis

A mesothelioma diagnosis is very difficult and it involves a series of tests to establish whether the illness is indeed mesothelioma. Even before you have gone to a health specialist, there are specific symptoms that you should look out for in order to have some idea of the disease you might be suffering from. The symptoms in the lungs include shortness of breath, pain in the chest, pain in the throat, lack of appetite, weight loss and the symptoms are many. Peritoneal mesothelioma which is the mesothelioma that affects the abdomen may present with swelling in the abdominal area, build up of fluid, nausea, weight loss, swelling of feet, bowel obstruction and the list goes on. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of vital organs like heart lungs and abdomen called the mesothelium.
The known cause of the disease is asbestos which is a natural mineral used in various industries to produce various products. The people who find themselves suffering from the disease must have come into contact with the substance at their working stations. Therefore, when a mesothelioma diagnosis is being made, you must give your asbestos history and if you have ever worked on a shipyard, construction site, asbestos mines and other industries that might handled asbestos, you will have to state this clearly to the doctor. When you are exposed to asbestos, it does not matter the duration because the microscopic fibers are enough to cause the disease after its latency period.
Latency period is the time the asbestos takes to affect the cells so that they can become cancerous. It takes a very long time and it could be 30 to 50 years after your exposure. Usually, when you experience the symptoms, you will go for mesothelioma diagnosis which might be too late for your condition. It is advisable to seek medical opinion if you have ever suspected exposure to asbestos in your life. This will assist in making an early mesothelioma diagnosis. You need to empower yourself with necessary information so that you can be in a position to make wise decisions. Some of the steps that a doctor will take to make a mesothelioma diagnosis include the following.
The first thing will be giving your complete asbestos history. There will be x rays performed on your chest or abdomen. Other scans will be undertaken to find out conclusively whether you have the illness. An example of the scan that will be undertaken is computer tomography. Another scan that will be helpful is the magnetic resonance imaging. The scan will determine the extent of the tumor. A biopsy is very vital and it is performed by taking a sample of the tumor to determine whether the cells are cancerous or not. When you have a confirmation that you have the mesothelioma illness, you do not have to stop at that because your doctor will inform you that there are treatments which can make your life easier. Some of the treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. You need to stay positive so that you can fight the disease.