Mesothelioma can be hard to diagnose. If the results of your history and physical exam suggest you might have mesothelioma, more tests will be needed. These could include imaging tests, blood tests, and/or biopsies.
How is malignant mesothelioma (MM) diagnosed?
- The pathologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma (MM) continues to evolve and be refined as more antibodies and molecular tests become available for general use. This is especially applicable to distinguishing benign from malignant mesothelial proliferations, for which im- Accepted for publication May 5, 2017.
How is positivity interpreted in the diagnosis of mesothelioma?
- Interpretation of positivity generally should take into account the localization of the stain (eg, nuclear versus cytoplasmic) and the percentage of cells staining ( .10% is suggested for cytoplasmic and membranous markers). Selectedmolecular markers are now being used to distinguish benign from malignant mesothelial proliferations.
Is a cytologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma epithelioid type sufficient?
- Emerging data that indicate subtyping of epithelioid MM according to morphologic features and nuclear grade21are important to predicting survival and suggest that a cytologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma epithelioid type might not be sufficient in the future.
What is the clinical presentation of malignant mesothelioma of the pleura?
- Clinical Presentation Malignant mesothelioma of the pleura typically presents as a unilateral, diffuse tumor in an older patient; however, when the presentation is atypical, it may be misleading.