Mesothelioma Specialists

Diagnosing mesothelioma is the first step

Diagnosis is the first and perhaps the most important obstacle to finding effective treatment for mesothelioma. As with most cancers, mesothelioma is much harder to treat when it is found at a later stage, after it is well established and has spread. So finding mesothelioma at the earliest stages—when surgery is possible and the body is still strong enough to respond to aggressive treatment—is the best hope for improved outcome of the disease. Unfortunately, diagnosing mesothelioma early is highly unusual.

Because malignant mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer, with only a few thousand new cases diagnosed in the United States each year, many oncologists have never seen a mesothelioma patient. That puts the burden on you to proactively seek help. Your regular doctor is unlikely to look for mesothelioma unless you mention your history of exposure to asbestos. If you were exposed to asbestos over a long period of time, you should go to the doctor, explain your concerns, and ask to be examined specifically for mesothelioma and other conditions, including lung cancer and asbestosis that are associated with asbestos.

The doctor will look for signs like swelling and breathing difficulties, perform some blood and enzyme tests, and arrange for a tissue biopsy to confirm the presence of mesothelioma. At that point, you will be referred to a mesothelioma specialist for further evaluation and treatment.

Finding a mesothelioma specialist

A number of hospitals and medical research centers around the country have a group of mesothelioma doctors who work as a team to provide the best care available to the victims of this terrible disease. These doctors focus all of their attention on asbestos disease, and many do primary research and conduct clinical trials. You may be able to participate in these trials. Your primary physician or oncologist can refer you to a center nearest to you. You can also check with the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, which identify institutions that have been accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

A team of mesothelioma doctors

In the course of your diagnosis and treatment for mesothelioma, you may encounter several different kinds of mesothelioma doctors:

• Surgeons who remove diseased tissue
• Oncologists who administer chemotherapy
• Thoracic specialists who focus on the study and treatment of cancers affecting the lungs, chest, and esophagus
• Radiologists who use radiation to destroy tumor cells and slow disease growth
• Researchers who study mesothelioma and look for new treatments and potential cures and often conduct clinical trials

You may have to travel to get to the facilities where these mesothelioma specialists practice, but most patients consider it worth the trouble and expense to receive the most advanced treatment by experts in the field.