Mesothelioma is a rare and hard-to-detect cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. While cancer doctors use all the best tools they can to detect cancers of all kinds, sometimes the only way to have a totally accurate diagnosis of mesothelioma is to have a fluid and/or tissue biopsy.
What is a biopsy?
A biopsy is the medical term for when your doctor decides to test a sample of some part of your body to find out if you have a serious condition. It may be a sample of skin, fluids, or internal tissue. A biopsy involves cutting, scraping, or aspirating (withdrawing) material from your body.
With mesothelioma, your doctor may first do a fluid diagnosis by withdrawing a portion of the fluid from the affected area. If that test is inconclusive, the next step would likely be a tissue biopsy.
How does the doctor do a mesothelioma biopsy?
If it is fairly easy to get to the affected area of your body, your doctor may use the simplest procedure for a biopsy called needle aspiration. In this procedure a fine needle with a grasping/cutting end is inserted and a sample of tissue is snipped and pulled out. If that's not possible, the doctor may make a small incision and remove a part of the tissue from your pleura (lining of the lungs), peritoneum (lining of the abdomen), or pericardium (lining of the heart area), depending on where you appear to have disease.
The sample of your tissue is sent to a pathology lab where a specialist in diagnosing diseases will observe and run certain tests to determine if you have mesothelioma. Because mesothelioma spreads quickly, your doctor may want to check for the cancer spreading (metastasizing) to other parts of your body such as lymph nodes.
Mesothelioma cancer lawyer
Unfortunately, mesothelioma is still fatal and moves very aggressively. If your biopsy indicates a mesothelioma diagnosis, be sure you are satisfied with your medical team's knowledge of the disease. Then, find a qualified mesothelioma cancer lawyer to help you investigate your legal rights. Because mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, you may well have a right to recover compensation. The right attorney can make the difference in whether you and your family get the financial assistance you deserve.
Please don't hesitate to call us. All of the attorneys at HendlerLaw are experienced at helping victims of mesothelioma. Our 24-hour telephone is 800.443.6353. Or email us at help@hendlerlaw.com.