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Mesothelioma Symptoms and Treatment When the first signs of mesothelioma are discovered, doctors will request imaging scans to determine whether the patient has possible cancerous growths on their chest or abdomen. Mesothelioma can be a sign of other illnesses like lung cancer or pneumonia, leading to confusion in diagnosis. Doctors may also conduct a biopsy to identify mesothelioma. There are three main mesothelioma cell types: epithelial, sarcomatoid and biphasic. Each type responds to treatment differently and has a distinct impact on life expectancy. Diagnosis If mesothelioma has been identified, doctors will run several tests to confirm it. This includes chest X-ray, CT scans, and biopsies. The X-ray can show a build-up of fluid on one side of the chest. This is referred to as pleural effusion and it is often the first indication of mesothelioma. However, X-rays aren't the most reliable method to identify the disease. The next step is the chest CT scan, which creates an image of your lungs as well as other organs. A doctor can inject you with a color, which will highlight areas of cancer that may be present. During the CT scan, you'll be scanned through a doughnut-shaped scanner while lying on a mattress. The procedure is only a few minutes and isn't terribly uncomfortable, even for people who are claustrophobic. In some instances the doctor may also perform an MRI. These scans produce high-quality images using radio waves and strong magnetic fields. If you suffer from mesothelioma affecting the diaphragm or the diaphragm, an MRI can help doctors locate the disease and determine how advanced it is. Some patients could also have an PET scan. In this test, you will receive a shot of radioactive dye. Cancer cells absorb the dye more than healthy cells and consequently appear brighter in the images. A biopsy is the final test to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor will take an infected lining. It will be examined under a microscope to detect cancer cells. This is done under local anaesthetic. The procedure can be performed using surgery or by inserting the needle using a CT scan. Your doctor will refer to the results of the other tests if the biopsy proves that mesothelioma is present. This stage describes how far mesothelioma has spread and what types of treatment are best for you. You can learn more about staging by reading the section on this guide titled Staging. Treatment Several treatment options are available for mesothelioma. There are a variety of treatment options available. Certain treatments can improve the quality of life and extend life for a longer amount of time than other. Patients with mesothelioma must discuss their goals and decide on the best treatment option. Surgery is a method to treat mesothelioma. In this operation surgeons attempt to eliminate all cancerous tissues. However when mesothelioma is at an advanced stage, it's unlikely that doctors will be able to completely eliminate the tumor. Regardless, surgeons can still reduce the symptoms. The most common mesothelioma is found in the lining surrounding the lungs. A person can develop mesothelioma around the heart in some instances (pericardial msothelioma). Rarely, mesothelioma can affect the testicles. Mesothelioma is treated using chemotherapy and radiation. These treatments are usually administered by mesothelioma experts in specialized centers. Chemotherapy is a method of treatment that utilizes drugs to kill mesothelioma cancer cells and stop their growth. Pemetrexed and cisplatin are the standard first-line drug combination for pleural msothelioma. Radiation therapy makes use of high energy beams to kill cancerous cell. This type of treatment is typically employed in conjunction with other mesothelioma therapies including surgery and chemotherapy. This treatment is also applied to any mesothelioma with a microscopic size left behind by the surgeons after surgery. Mesothelioma patients may experience many different side effects from these treatments. These include nausea, fatigue and hair loss. A mesothelioma specialist can help patients choose the right medication to meet their individual needs. They can also suggest different ways to enhance the quality of life of a patient. These could include regular lymphatic drainage to ease breathing, or powerful painkillers. Patients should also ensure that they inform their medical professional of any other medications they take including supplements, herbal remedies or prescription drugs. This will help to avoid any potentially hazardous interactions between these medications. Prognosis Mesothelioma, also called pleural mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor that affects the membrane that forms the body's cavities such as the abdomen and chest cavity. If someone has mesothelioma malignant cells can form in the tissue, and they can be spread to other parts of the body. They can also cause symptoms such as pain or difficulty breathing. A specialist doctor's diagnosis of mesothelioma is crucial as it is the first step to receiving treatment. Mesothelioma can be diagnosed in different ways, such as physical examination, laboratory tests, and biopsy. A biopsy is a tiny sample taken from the tumor or mass to test for mesothelioma. A misdiagnosis for mesothelioma may be risky, as it could delay treatment or worsen the prognosis. Mesothelioma is often difficult to detect because the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of lung cancer, pneumonia, or bronchitis. Because of this, mesothelioma can be mistakenly diagnosed as a respiratory disease. The prognosis for mesothelioma is determined depending on the type and stage of mesothelioma. It also depends on factors such depending on the patient's age, general health and medical history. The cancer can be treated through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Patients are also able to receive palliative treatment to alleviate fatigue, pain and other signs. The mesothelioma level of a patient is a reference to how the disease has progressed and how much has already expanded to other parts of the body. The doctor will use his or best judgment in determining the stage, taking into consideration the symptoms and the rate of growth of the cancer. The mesothelioma survival rate is contingent on the patient's stage and the type of cancer and the location. Patients diagnosed with less common mesothelioma types have a less favorable prognosis. Patients who have peritoneal mesothelioma have an increased chance of living longer because it grows more slowly in the abdomen than pleural msothelioma that is found in the chest. Additionally, those who are tolerant for treatment could live longer than patients with a low tolerance. Certain patients with peritoneal msothelioma were able to achieve good results when they combined chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Symptoms When asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed they adhere to the organ's lining and can cause them to form tumors. Mesothelioma most commonly occurs in the lung. However it can also develop in the chest, abdomen, and testicles of men. Symptoms of mesothelioma usually don't develop until around 40-50 years after exposure. The first step to diagnose mesothelioma begins with a thorough background of exposure to asbestos. Your doctor will then do an examination and review your symptoms. A chest X-ray may detect abnormal thickening or fluid in the space that separates the lungs from the chest wall. A lung CT scan is also used to detect mesothelioma and other lung cancers. massachusetts mesothelioma law firm can undergo blood tests to check on the health of your kidneys and liver. The doctor might also recommend a chest MRI or a PET scan to look for other mesothelioma and cancers of the lungs, chest wall or abdomen. If you are required to take a biopsy of the tumor is needed, doctors can remove it with surgery or by inserting a needle in the chest wall under local anesthesia. The doctor will examine the tissue under magnifying glasses to determine whether it is malignant mesothelioma or a different kind of cancer. The results of these tests will help doctors determine the extent of the mesothelioma cancer following a mesothelioma. They will assign an appropriate staging number to mesothelioma. This will be helpful for planning your treatment. They are not cancerous, and they aren't able to grow back if surgically removed. They typically form in the abdominal lining, or pleura. Mesothelioma of the pericardium is more difficult to treat since it affects the heart. It is also possible to recur after surgery. Mesothelioma can also grow to other areas of the body such as the lymph nodes, or bones located outside the chest and abdomen. It is sometimes difficult to determine if you have mesothelioma based on the similarity of symptoms to other conditions that are less serious. This can lead to a misdiagnosis that could delay treatment. Delay in treatment could cause complications and decrease your chances of surviving.