8 things you should know before going for Mesothelioma Biopsy

19.11.2011 | Author: Agatha Simona | Posted in General
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Mesothelioma is caused when cancer affects the mesothelium, the membrane that surrounds the various vital organs. As it is a rare disease, diagnosing it at an early stage is quite difficult. Moreover, its symptoms are similar to that of many common illnesses. In order to confirm the diagnosis, the most common medical procedure is to go for a mesothelioma biopsy which involves removal of affected tissues to be tested with a microscope.

As mesothelioma biopsy scares many patients owing to the surgery involved to remove tissues, it is important that you are aware of certain aspects prior to getting a mesothelioma biopsy.

  1. The most important thing that you should know is why the biopsy is being done and what procedure would be carried out.
  2. Before any medical procedure, it is your right to understand the potential benefits, risks, and side effects of a mesothelioma biopsy. You can also find out the reason for the procedure and the kind of anesthesia you will need
  3. Biopsy is the only way to be sure if the mesothelioma is malignant in the body.
  4. You should be aware that it involves invasion and removal of a piece of tissue from your body. This will help pathologists to be sure that you have malignant mesothelioma. This kind of diagnosis is usually chosen as the last option due to invasive surgery
  5. There are different types of biopsy for mesothelioma. While most of them do not require anesthesia, some require only local anesthesia in the area of the biopsies.
  6. While some of the biopsy is done by inserting a long thin needle or an endoscope, some are done with surgery. This is dependent on the location of the suspected mesothelioma cancer tissue.
  7. The tissue is taken to the laboratory for analysis after the biopsy. The abnormalities in the tissues are visible through the microscopic diagnosing. At times, only liquid is removed from around the lungs or from the abdomen and their cells are analyzed
  8. There are two types of mesothelioma biopsy:
  • Excisional biopsy – an entire lump or area of abnormal tissue is removed
  • Incisional biopsy – the normal biopsy method, just a small sample of tissue is removed.
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