If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may have many questions running through your head:
How did I get this terrible disease?
Should I get a second opinion?
What does this diagnosis mean for me, my family, and others that I care about?
Could I have been misdiagnosed?
How will I be able to pay for treatments?
These and similar questions are perfectly natural. The best way to get information about your specific situation is to connect with a mesothelioma doctor who can answer your questions.
In most cases, cancer specialists will approach a mesothelioma diagnosis by first testing to see if another, more common disease is causing the symptoms. As part of this process, the doctor will obtain a full medical history from the patient, which may include asking about any exposure to asbestos.
From there, the doctor will usually perform a series of tests, starting with the least invasive (and, in most cases, least costly), such as imaging scans and blood tests. If these initial tests indicate a potential for mesothelioma, a biopsy will be taken to confirm the diagnosis. Only a histological examination – that is, inspection of biopsied tissue under a microscope – can verify a mesothelioma diagnosis.How Mesothelioma Is Diagnosed
The symptoms of mesothelioma can take a long time to develop – often decades. When symptoms do finally appear, they can mimic other illnesses and diseases. For both of these reasons, diagnosing mesothelioma is a difficult process that can take months and many different tests.
In most cases, cancer specialists will approach a mesothelioma diagnosis by first testing to see if another, more common disease is causing the symptoms. As part of this process, the doctor will obtain a full medical history from the patient, which may include asking about any exposure to asbestos.
From there, the doctor will usually perform a series of tests, starting with the least invasive (and, in most cases, least costly), such as imaging scans and blood tests. If these initial tests indicate a potential for mesothelioma, a biopsy will be taken to confirm the diagnosis. Only a histological examination – that is, inspection of biopsied tissue under a microscope – can verify a mesothelioma diagnosis.
How did I get this terrible disease?
Should I get a second opinion?
What does this diagnosis mean for me, my family, and others that I care about?
Could I have been misdiagnosed?
How will I be able to pay for treatments?
These and similar questions are perfectly natural. The best way to get information about your specific situation is to connect with a mesothelioma doctor who can answer your questions.
How Mesothelioma Is Diagnosed
The symptoms of mesothelioma can take a long time to develop – often decades. When symptoms do finally appear, they can mimic other illnesses and diseases. For both of these reasons, diagnosing mesothelioma is a difficult process that can take months and many different tests.In most cases, cancer specialists will approach a mesothelioma diagnosis by first testing to see if another, more common disease is causing the symptoms. As part of this process, the doctor will obtain a full medical history from the patient, which may include asking about any exposure to asbestos.
From there, the doctor will usually perform a series of tests, starting with the least invasive (and, in most cases, least costly), such as imaging scans and blood tests. If these initial tests indicate a potential for mesothelioma, a biopsy will be taken to confirm the diagnosis. Only a histological examination – that is, inspection of biopsied tissue under a microscope – can verify a mesothelioma diagnosis.How Mesothelioma Is Diagnosed
The symptoms of mesothelioma can take a long time to develop – often decades. When symptoms do finally appear, they can mimic other illnesses and diseases. For both of these reasons, diagnosing mesothelioma is a difficult process that can take months and many different tests.
In most cases, cancer specialists will approach a mesothelioma diagnosis by first testing to see if another, more common disease is causing the symptoms. As part of this process, the doctor will obtain a full medical history from the patient, which may include asking about any exposure to asbestos.
From there, the doctor will usually perform a series of tests, starting with the least invasive (and, in most cases, least costly), such as imaging scans and blood tests. If these initial tests indicate a potential for mesothelioma, a biopsy will be taken to confirm the diagnosis. Only a histological examination – that is, inspection of biopsied tissue under a microscope – can verify a mesothelioma diagnosis.
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