Resident Doctors are on strike from 7 - 13 April. Please continue to attend appointments at the hospital unless you are contacted directly to rearrange. Our hospitals will be busy, but we are still here to provide emergency care when you need it.

Mesothelioma

Information and support resources for those affected by Mesothelioma.

Signs and symptoms of Mesothelioma can include:

  • Pain in the side of the chest or lower back
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Excessive sweating
  • Fatigue
  • Weight loss (without trying)
  • Trouble swallowing (feeling like food gets stuck)
  • Hoarseness
  • Swelling of the face and arms

If you have any concerning symptoms you should contact your GP first.

Diagnostic tests

Common diagnostic tests to identify lung cancer are outlined in the Lung Investigation Booklet and include:

  • CT scan
  • PET scan
  • Bronchoscopy  – this procedure involves examining the air passages in the lungs and will examine the airways. Biopsies are also usually taken. 
  • Endobronchial Ultrasound (often called EBUS)  – this is similar to a bronchoscopy but also looks at the lymph nodes using an ultrasound probe and will take biopsies from these nodes.
  • Lung Biopsy – this procedure involves getting a very small piece of lung tissue by passing a needle through the skin into your chest and into the lung.
  • Endoscopic Ultrasound – this procedure examines and biopsies enlarged lymph glands that have been seen in the chest through the oesophagus (gullet). Biopsies are usually taken.
  • Fine Needle Aspiration  – this procedure involves using a thin needle to remove samples of tissue (biopsy) or fluid from an organ of the body or a lump found under the skin. Often this is from a neck lymph node or from an organ such as the liver or adrenal gland.
  • Removal of pleural fluid  – if fluid builds up in the lining of the lung this will need to be removed to try to identify the cause. Sometimes large volumes of fluid can be removed and managed through various treatments. 
  • Lung Function test – this test assesses the function of the lungs by using a specialised breathing machine.
  • Exercise Test – this tests assess the heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Medical Thoracoscopy 
  • Surgical Bronchoscopy  – this involves a general anaesthetic to allow the surgeon to examine the airways of the lung and to take a biopsy.
  • Mediastinoscopy – this involves a general anaesthetic to allow the surgeon to take biopsies of the lymph glands in the middle of the chest by using a small incision in the breast bone.
  • Mediastinotomy – this involves a general anaesthetic to allow the surgeon to take biopsies of the lymph glands that need to be taken through an incision in the upper chest wall by the collar bone.
  • Video Assisted Thorascopic (VATs) Lung Biopsy – this involves a general anaesthetic and allows the surgeon to take samples of the lung, or the lining of the lung.
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