Pre-testing

First, your doctor will ask you questions about your history to determine possible sources of asbestos exposure. He or she will ask for a detailed description of all your symptoms to help determine whether or not you have mesothelioma or any other health problems.

Next, your doctor will send you for a chest x-ray. He or she will look for thickening or stiffening of the lining of your chest cavity (pleura), changes in the spaces between the lobes of your lungs, and for the presence of fluid in your chest. These are typical signs of a previous exposure to asbestos. Your doctor will then conduct lung function tests and may also order a CT scan or MRI (two tests that can create more detailed images of your body tissues than normal x-rays).

If any of these tests indicate mesothelioma, your doctor will do a biopsy (test a small sample of tissue) or pleural fluid to confirm the diagnosis.