Mesothelioma TreatmentDiagnosis
Biopsy
A cancer diagnosis is distressing. Not only are you facing an uncertain future, but youll also be bombarded with tests and other diagnostic procedures that are likely to be scary for you as well. Most are quite routine and are performed hundreds of times each year by the doctors who are treating you, but it helps to have a basic knowledge of these procedures such as biopsies - that are often involved in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma.
What is a Biopsy?
Taken from the Greek word meaning view for the living, a biopsy is a procedure which involves the removal of a sample of tissue from the patient which is, in turn, sent to a doctor known as a pathologist a specialist who renders medical diagnoses by examining tissues and fluids removed from the body. Most cancers require a biopsy for accurate diagnosis.
The biopsy your doctor chooses may require a local anesthetic or it may require no anesthesia at all. More complicated biopsies involve surgery. At the completion of the biopsy, the examining pathologist will review the specimen and make his diagnosis. The report will then be sent to your oncologist or primary doctor who will set up a consultation with you to discuss the findings. Some results may take as long as a few weeks, so its best to be as patient as possible.
Are There Different Types of Biopsies?
Once your doctor is reasonably certain that you may have mesothelioma, the first procedure you will probably undergo is an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI. If these tests confirm the doctors suspicions, he may order a biopsy that will remove fluid from around the lung.
However, many health professionals do not see this as an accurate tool for diagnosis of mesothelioma and may order a tissue biopsy instead. The least invasive way to perform such a biopsy is through laparoscopy or thoracoscopy, which involves making a small incision in the skin and inserting a tiny camera to explore the affected area. During this procedure, a tissue sample may be taken.
Some doctors, however, prefer a needle biopsy. With this procedure, a thin, hollow needle is inserted through the skin and into the chest cavity, obtaining a tissue sample in this manner.
Most mesothelioma experts, however, opt for a procedure known as an open lung biopsy. This is considered a surgical procedure and will involve general anesthesia. After the patient is put to sleep, an incision is made and a small piece of lung tissue is removed. The tissue is then sent to a pathologist for examination. To prevent lung collapse, a chest tube may be left in place for a few days, creating some mild discomfort. Pain around the incision may also occur after surgery but the anesthesia prevents any pain during the procedure itself.
