For men and women who worked in the asbestos industry, a film in the chest or chest radiograph was probably required by your employer or union. Unfortunately, some of the people I have had the opportunity to speak with tell me that they no longer follow their health through films of the chest, once retired or left the industry of asbestos.
This may be the result of not having enough information from your employer, the union, the doctor or other resources on the potential and long latency risk for diseases related to asbestos . You can not feel a chest X-ray or yearly visit to your doctor was necessary because you have not experienced symptoms of mesothelioma or were not bad. But if you have a history of exposure to asbestos, a radiography is an important tool for monitoring your health. A recent chest film should be compared with the previous year to chart changes or abnormalities.
Although an x-ray can identify pleural scarring, fluid buildup and abnormal masses, more diagnostic testing is warranted if your doctor considers it necessary to provide or confirm a diagnosis mesothelioma. A CT or CAT scan can give your doctor a better picture of any fluid or masses surrounding your lungs, heart or diaphragm.
The powerful electromagnets MRI provide detailed images of the body and to demonstrate a greater contrast between the soft tissues of the body. It can be a useful tool to determine the involvement of the tumor.
A PET scan requires radioactive glucose injected into the bloodstream to recognize high levels of glucose that are kept in active tumors, cancer cells and other infected areas. The areas with high levels of glucose will appear as bright spots or abnormal cells.
The latest technology combines both CT and PET scan in a single computer image to provide a more accurate picture of the activity of the tumor in the body. An area with active high sugar intake suggests cancer while a low level of activity is indicative of a benign tumor, a healing or inflammatory response to injury. Together, the two can establish the location of a tumor or growth and identify excessive biological activity.
Although all of the above procedures can identify pleural effusions, masses or other abnormalities in the body, no one can determine if you have mesothelioma. cytological analysis of pleural fluid or pathological tests of specimens from a tissue biopsy is recognized as the standard tool for confirmation of a diagnosis of mesothelioma.
