Difference between Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer?

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between mesothelioma and lung cancer. The following tests and procedures may be used:

• Physical exam and history: Be aware of your family history.  Visit with your doctor annually to review any changes in your own history of health.  Also make sure to schedule a physical exam to check your overall general health and check for signs of disease

• Chest x-ray: Ask you doctor to perform an x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, taking a picture of areas inside the body.

• Complete blood count: A procedure in blood is drawn and checked for the following:

o The number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
o The amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells.
o The portion of the blood sample made up of red blood cells.

• Sedimentation rate: The distance red blood cells travel in one hour in a sample of blood as they settle to the bottom of a test tube. The sedimentation rate is increased in inflammation, infection, cancer, and diseases of the blood and bone marrow.

• Biopsy: The procedure of removing a sample of tissue, which is then examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Procedures used to collect the cells or tissues include the following:

o Fine-needle aspiration biopsy: The removal of part of a lump, suspicious tissue, or fluid, using a thin needle, smaller than the needle used for blood tests.
o Thoracoscopy: The use of a thin, lighted tube (an endoscopic instrument) to examine the inside of the chest.
o Peritoneoscopy: An incision is made in the abdominal wall and a peritoneoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted into the abdomen.
o Laparotomy: Examination of the abdominal cavity performed by inserting a viewing apparatus through an incision in the abdominal wall to check for signs of disease.
o Thoracotomy: Surgery involving opening or cutting into the chest or thoracic cavity to check for signs of disease.

• Bronchoscopy: A procedure in which a thin, lighted tube (bronchoscope) is inserted through the nose or mouth to examine the breathing passages at the entrance to your lungs.

• Cytologic exam: An exam of cells under a microscope to check for any abnormal structure or fucntion of cells.  For mesothelioma, fluid is taken from around the lungs or from the abdomen. A pathologist checks the cells in the fluid.