A diagnosis of mesothelioma is often delayed because the symptoms are generally non-specific and some patients do not exhibit signs of the disease. Additionally, the onset of mesothelioma symptoms is usually very slow, and may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Doctors use a variety of diagnostic
procedures to determine if a patient has
mesothelioma. These exams may include
imaging tests, visualization tests,
biopsies and pulmonary function tests.
Because of the difficulties in
diagnosing mesothelioma, doctors may
perform other tests to confirm the
presence of the disease. If the
pathologist confirms a diagnosis of
Mesothelioma, the doctor may request
tests such as a Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) scan to evaluate the
stage or extent of the disease before
settling on the appropriate course of
treatment.
Currently, no known cure exists for malignant mesothelioma. Patients have several treatment options. The most common options are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In many cases, doctors will combine two or more courses of treatment for the maximum likelihood of success. This “multimodal” approach holds the most promise for survival of malignant mesothelioma patients. Trimodality therapy uses all three of these modalities and is considered the most effective aggressive approach. Each patient's course of treatment depends on the location of the disease, the stage of the disease, as well as the patient's age, overall health and personal preferences for treatment.
Treatment Options
Mesotheliomas are usually of three
different cell types: 1) epithelial cell
type, which has the most favorable
prognosis; 2) fibrosarcomatous cell
type, which has the most negative
prognosis and 3) mixed cell type, which
has an intermediate prognosis.
Physicians use imaging studies such as
MRI scans, x-rays and CT scans to
classify the cancer's spread (or
“stage”). Staging is one of the most
important steps; it allows doctors to
determine a patient’s course of
treatment and gives them a better
understanding of the patient's
prognosis.
New York Treatment
Facilities
Providing information on Treatment
Centers, Clinical Trials and
Mesothelioma Support Groups.
NY
Physicians
Providing a list of physicians in NY who
treat Mesothelioma.
