Scan for Mesothelioma

Picture Your Future

Researchers are now saying that a combination of computed tomograph and positron emission tomography may be best for scanning for mesothelioma. The CT-PET test may help stage the disease better than an MRI or just a CT scan. By doing this, patients may be able to avoid invasive surgery that may not be necessary.

"CT and MRI scans are used to stage mesothelioma patients, but research shows they are not very accurate at determining how far mesothelioma has spread. As a result, 25% of patients undergo invasive surgery for cancer that cannot be removed surgically" researchers report to Surviving Mesothelioma.

For those with the disease, invasive surgery such as extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) surgery may be needed. During surgery, the entire lung, lining of the heart, and diaphragm are removed. Patients scanned with a CT-PET scan may allow doctors a better chance at correcting diagnosing if a patient's cancer will be cured by the EPP surgery. More tests are still being conducted to confirm the research results, however the scan is already being used by many diagnostic centers nationwide.