Screening Tests For Mesothelioma

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many forms of cancer are easily diagnosable because symptoms tend to be present at the early stages of the disease. However, mesotheliomas are a rare type of cancer and its symptoms can be vague and difficult to pinpoint. As a result, early identification and diagnosis are critical for successful treatment. Fortunately, some screening tools are available that can help detect mesotheliom in its early stages.

The goal of this article is to provide an overview of some of these testing methods and the current situation around them. Mesotheliomas occur due to exposure to asbestos fibers, which are commonly found in building products and ship coatings. This can cause tumors to develop in various tissues, particularly the pleura, peritoneum, or mesentery. Among these, pleural mesothelioms are difficult to treat if diagnosed later than stage III and IV, when symptoms are more advanced and they cannot recover well. In fact, survival rates are lower by 50% in stage IV cases compared to stages I and II. At the moment, screening methods for mesothelimas revolve around imaging tools such as chest X-rays, computer tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As mentioned before, mesothelima's symptoms can become apparent in the late stages allowing diagnostic delays. If routine check-ups and timely interventions can improve the chances of early diagnosis, better planning of treatment outcomes for late stage solutions can help people at higher risk reduce the odds of worsening health conditions that could result in death due to treatment side effects. Herein the discussion covers the scope of the literature relative to these screening strategies, evaluating their effectiveness, limitations, and costs.