Tests for mesothelioma:
Many of the usual tests used to diagnose lung disease prove negative when used to diagnose pleural mesothelioma. Of these tests, X-ray, CT scan and thoracoscopy are the most important. Many people with pleual mesothelioma have fluid around their lungs (a pleural effusion). People with peritoneal mesothelioma may have fluid in their abdominal cavity (a peritoneal effusion).
Patients with mesothelioma commonly present with pleural effusions. In patients with "suspicious" cytology, pleural fluid mesothelin was 100% specific for mesothelioma. Serum mesothelin is a diagnostic biomarker for mesothelioma. Pleural effusion is a common sign of malignancy, or cancer, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, a form of cancer for which the only known cause is asbestos exposure. Pleural effusions were found to be malignant between 1976 and 1987.
