How Pleural Effusions Can Help Diagnose Mesothelioma

[MUSIC PLAYING] When a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they may present with pleural effusion, which is fluid buildup in the lining of the lungs. That fluid is drained and a cytology exam, which is the study of the cells, is performed to find any abnormal cancer cells in that fluid. Any presence of mesothelial cancer cells would indicate a diagnosis for mesothelioma. When a patient undergoes a CAT scan or an X-ray and the physician finds something abnormal in the image testing, they may order a tissue biopsy, which involves getting a sample of the tissue that may be abnormal to find any cancer cells. From that tissue sample, they may find mesothelioma cancer cells, which would indicate mesothelioma. A CT scan with color contrast provides a better image for a physician to see pleural thickening, which could be caused by mesothelioma. [MUSIC PLAYING]