How is mesothelioma diagnosed? What tests are used? — Expert Video

Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler, a medical oncologist and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, explains how mesothelioma is diagnosed and what tests are used. For pleural mesothelioma, diagnosis begins with a physical exam and imaging tests such as a chest X-ray, CT scan, PET scan, and sometimes an MRI. If fluid is present around the lungs, it may be drained and tested using a procedure called a thoracentesis. However, a biopsy is usually needed to confirm the diagnosis, often done using image-guided techniques or a thoracoscopy, which allows doctors to take multiple tissue samples. For peritoneal mesothelioma, diagnosis also starts with a physical exam and imaging such as CT or MRI scans, and sometimes a PET scan. Fluid in the abdomen may be removed and analyzed using a procedure called a paracentesis. A biopsy is still required, either through image-guided needle sampling or a laparoscopy to collect tissue from the abdomen. In both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, germline and somatic testing may be done to look for molecular changes that help guide treatment decisions.

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