Mesothelioma Tests Diagnosis Information

There are several tests that doctors can run to determine if a patient has a mesothelioma diagnosis. These mesothelioma tests vary in terms of intrusion into the body and accuracy. A time line for testing a person suspected of having mesothelioma is as follows:

When a patient first presents at the doctors office complaining of difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, or pneumonia types symptoms, the primary care physician will take an X-ray or CT scan to determine the presence of asbestos in or around the lungs, heart or stomach.

Once the detection of asbestos is noted, the doctor will look for tell tale signs of cancer including but not limited to the presence of tumors around the vital organs. If tumors or growths are detected, the primary care physician will typically refer the patient to a specialist for various tests to determine whether there is a mesothelioma diagnosis.

A mesothelioma diagnosis is generally tested for in one of two ways. Depending on the condition of the patient, the doctor may want to do a minimally intrusive procedure called a needle biopsy. The procedure allows the doctor to abstract cells suspected of cancer infection from the lining affected area. The doctor can run tests on the mesothelial cells to determine the proper diagnosis for the patient. There are several ways in which the doctor can perform a tissue biopsy in order to run tests for mesothelioma. A thoracoscopy or laparoscopy entails making a small incision and using a tiny camera to look at the affected area. At this time a small tissue sample can be taken. The tissue samples will be sent away to a pathologists for further tests. Your doctor may decide to do a needle biopsy, where a hollow needle is inserted through the skin and into the chest cavity. However, needle biopsies can be less than precise.

The second more common way that doctors test for mesothelioma is to surgically enter the patients body, at which time they cut a small piece of infected tissue for biopsy purposes. This test is known as an "open biopsy". The abstracted tissue is then sent out for testing by a specialist. This process generally takes several days. If this test reveals the presence of mesothelioma the doctor will determine whether the diagnosed mesothelioma is benign or malignant.

If the doctor determines that the mesothelioma diagnosis is malignant, they will likely refer the patient to an oncologist (cancer doctor) for further tests and treatment.

The oncologist will test the patient to determine the progression of the mesothelioma and the prognosis for the future. At this time the oncologist will decide what treatment option is best for the patient.

Generally, the oncologist will start the patient on a series of chemotherapy treatments to slow the growth of the mesothelioma. If the doctor determines, after running tests, that the patient is not a candidate for chemotherapy, the oncologists may prescribe medication to help the patient with pain management.

TREATMENT OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS

The treatment of CF can include postural drainage (also called chest physical therapy [CPT]), requires vigorous percussion (by using cupped hands) on the back and chest to dislodge the thick mucus from the lungs.

Antibiotics are also used to treat lung infections. CF also can affect the digestive system, the body does not absorb enough nutrients, therefore the need to eat an enriched diet and take both replacement vitamins and pancreatic enzymes.

CYSTIC FIBROSIS Information

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common recessive genetic disease. CF affects approximately 30,000 children and young adults. It occurs in approximately one of every 3,300 live births. The median age of survival is 31 years.

The most common symptoms of CF are salty-tasting skin; persistent coughing, wheezing or pneumonia; excessive appetite but poor weight gain; and bulky, foul-smelling stools. CF causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus. This abnormal mucus clogs the lungs and leads to lung infections. The thick CF mucus also obstructs the pancreas, preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to digest food.

A child must inherit a defective copy of the CF gene (one from each parent) to have cystic fibrosis. Each time two carriers conceive a child, there is a 25 percent chance that the child will have CF; a 50 percent chance that the child will be a carrier; and a 25 percent chance that the child will be a non-carrier.

Cystic Fibrosis is not contagious, and therefore cannot be transmitted from person to person.