Asbestos-related diseases incubate for many decades before they start to show symptoms, and early detection is critical for proper treatment. People who worked in many industries such as construction, shipbuilding, and manufacturing are at high risk of developing these diseases.
The subtle nature of mesothelioma and a wealth of common symptoms makes detection to rest greatly on associating the proper symptoms with the proper diagnosis. Those with previous exposure to asbestos should readily inform the doctor of their past work history, so that the doctors suspicion about mesothelioma will be quickly aroused. Early and constant screenings are paramount for those who have suffered asbestos exposure.
The different steps in screening are:
-Step 1:
The first test a doctor will most likely run will be a thorascopy. The doctor will use an instrument called a thorascope. The instrument is introduced through a small incision made on the chest wall and it is used to visualize the chest cavity, samples of the lung tissue are also taken for biopsy testing in the laboratory. This procedure is done in a hospital under local anesthetic and usually causes little pain.
-Step 2:
This step involves the use of a peritoneoscope , an instrument that looks inside the abdomen and is used to collect tissue samples. It can also be used to check for the presence of accumulation of fluids which can be drained to relieve pressure and pain.
-Step 3:
More advanced tests such as a Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) scan give a three dimensional X-Ray of the tissue in question. This shows the potentially damaged areas before they manifest symptoms.
-Step 4:
Another option is called a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan, or MRI. An MRI gives uses high energy magnetic fields to take cross-section pictures of internal structures to distinguish healthy tissues from malignant tissues. These two scans allow doctors to recognize dangers long before the patient feels any symptoms.
