A typical mesothelioma diagnosis occurs three to six months after the patient’s first visit to a doctor to discuss breathing problems or chest and abdominal pain. As with other cancers, early detection can improve the patient’s prognosis, yet the uncharacteristically long latency period of mesothelioma can pose difficulties in early identification of the disease.
A full and accurate medical history is crucial for a physician to make a prompt and precise diagnosis. Once aware of a patient’s past and previous health concerns and current symptoms, a thorough physical examination will further the diagnostic process and determine if cancer is a valid suspicion.
Imaging tests including a chest X-ray, CT scan, PET scan or MRI scan are often the next step in verifying a mesothelioma diagnosis. Biopsies may also be conducted to confirm the presence of cancerous cells in fluid or tissue samples.
The miRviewâ„¢ meso test, the first molecular test to help differentiate between types of cancerous cells, utilizes microRNAs to assist in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Another recent development at the Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine at Oxford University looks for mesothelin, a protein present in most mesothelioma patients, in the pleural cavity of the lungs.
While scientific breakthroughs are continually providing doctors with new diagnostic tools, electron microscopy, which analyzes cancer cells through a powerful electron microscope, remains most effective at diagnosing mesothelioma by differentiating its cancerous cells from other forms of cancer.
A strong correlation has been shown between early diagnosis and increased treatment efficiency in mesothelioma patients, however, patients are often diagnosed 20 to 50 years after the original asbestos exposure. This long latency period between contact with asbestos and the emergence of symptoms often translates to a diagnosis in an advanced stage of the cancer. Immediately reporting asbestos exposure and related symptoms to a doctor is key in catching the cancer as quickly as possible.
A mesothelioma patient’s life expectancy typically ranges from four to 18 months after diagnosis. Survival rates have been increased by recent advancements in multimodality therapy for patients diagnosed early enough to partake in an aggressive treatment plan.
Multimodality therapy generally combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to improve a patient’s prognosis and quality of life. Completed simultaneously or in a planned sequence, a combination of treatments is generally considered more effective at combating mesothelioma cancer than a single approach.
Early diagnosis can also provide more opportunities for the patient to participate in clinical trials. While no cure for mesothelioma presently exists, treatments and medications are continually being tested prior to public release. Not only do patients have the opportunity to potentially benefit from an up-and-coming treatment, but medical professionals rely greatly on study results to come closer to discovering a cure.
Additional information on mesothelioma may be found through the mesothelioma Center.