Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis

Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis

Why is Mesothelioma Commonly Misdiagnosed?

When mesothelioma is diagnosed at an early stage before cancer has time to invade lymph nodes and other parts of the body, treatment is simpler and therefore the prognosis is most promising. But the disease is rarer than other cancers, with only about 3,000 cases diagnosed within the U.S. annually. Most doctors — including oncologists — will never attend to a mesothelioma patient in their career.

If you've got a history of asbestos exposure and your cancer care team lacks experience with the complexities of diagnosing mesothelioma, you're more likely to receive an incorrect diagnosis. Even worse, your doctors could start treatment for cancer or condition you don’t even have.

A misdiagnosis can delay proper treatment, limiting the treatment options available to you and reducing their effectiveness. For cancer as aggressive as mesothelioma, there's no time to waste.

Fortunately, specialists well-versed within the latest breakthroughs in detecting and treating mesothelioma are helping patients improve their outcomes nationwide. once you seek the assistance of an expert, you’re far more likely to receive a prompt and accurate diagnosis which will get you personalized treatment as soon as possible.

Couple taking note of a mesothelioma doctor

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Diagnostic Challenges

There are four distinct sorts of mesothelioma, each forming during a different part of the body. While each type has unique characteristics that affect treatment and anticipation, all of them have one thing in common: Diagnosis is usually a challenge.

No matter the sort, mesotheliomas have nonspecific symptoms which will be caused by many conditions, including other cancers and fewer serious illnesses. Because mesothelioma is so rare, nonspecialists tend to misdiagnose patients with a more common disease.

Mesothelioma patients typically receive a diagnosis two to 3 months after first noticing symptoms, but in many cases, a misdiagnosis causes a delay of up to 6 months.

Common Misdiagnoses

Once your doctor confirms a mesothelioma diagnosis, a team of specialists will build a treatment plan that gives the simplest chance of improving your prognosis and quality of life. Currently, the foremost effective and reliable treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. you'll even qualify for experimental therapies offered in clinical trials.

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is that the most ordinarily diagnosed type, comprising about 75 percent of all cases. It forms on the mesothelial lining of the lungs, referred to as the pleura.

Pleural mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty swallowing
• Maybe misdiagnosed as:
• Pneumonia/pneumonitis
• Tuberculosis
• Synovial sarcomatoid carcinoma
• Metastatic melanoma
• Thymoma
• LEARN ABOUT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma
• Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms include:
• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal swelling
• Nausea/vomiting
• Weight loss
• Maybe misdiagnosed as:
• Primary peritoneal carcinoma
• Ovarian carcinoma
• Colorectal adenocarcinoma

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Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma represents about 1 percent of all diagnoses. this sort forms on the mesothelial lining of the guts referred to as the pericardium.

Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Persistent cough
• Irregular heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Maybe misdiagnosed as:
• Tuberculous pericarditis
• Mesothelial reactive hyperplasia
• Leiomyosarcoma
• Fibrosarcoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma

And it’s not only symptoms that complicate diagnosis. Even imaging scans are often misleading to doctors. during a case report on a U.S. Navy veteran with a history of asbestos exposure, doctors told the patient he may need pleural mesothelioma after a chest X-ray revealed a growth on the liner of his lungs. However, a tissue sample of the expansion from a procedure called a biopsy came back negative for cancer. Doctors diagnosed the patient with inflammation of the lung tissue, called pneumonitis.

This example highlights the importance of finding a specialist who understands that a lot of diseases may appear to be mesothelioma on an imaging scan. albeit a patient features a history of asbestos exposure and is experiencing symptoms according to mesothelioma, doctors must perform a biopsy and other tests to verify a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

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How to Avoid a Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis

One of the foremost important steps you'll fancy avoid a misdiagnosis is finding a professional mesothelioma doctor. It takes an experienced doctor to acknowledge that a patient’s symptoms, imaging scans, and work history suggest mesothelioma.

Explain Past Exposure

If you've got a history of asbestos exposure, tell your medical care doctor the maximum amount as you'll about your past exposures to assist avoid a misdiagnosis. Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, so it's okay if you cannot remember everything.

Share Your Work History

It's most vital to inform your doctor about your work history, once you were exposed to asbestos and therefore the duration and extent of your exposures. Sharing this information is crucial. Otherwise, your doctor won't immediately suspect mesothelioma.

Ask About Experience

If your doctor does say that you simply may need mesothelioma, you ought to determine what proportion experience he or she has diagnosed and treated the disease. make certain to ask what percentage mesothelioma patients they need to be treated, and what therapies the treatment center can provide.

Get a Second Opinion

If you’re uncomfortable together with your doctor’s level of experience, ask if they will recommend a specialist, or find one on your own for a second opinion.

A qualified mesothelioma specialist has the knowledge and resources to verify your diagnosis with certainty. Experts in asbestos-related diseases will likely detect cancer before nonspecialists, which will assist you to get the treatments you would like early once they are best.