Diagnosing Mesothelioma: CT Scans

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During the mesothelioma diagnostic process, patients will undergo a variety of medical imaging procedures. One such imaging exam is a CT scan, which provides highly detailed information about the type of disease that is involved and how far it has advanced.

Along with the results of other tests, such as PET scan, MRI scan, and x-ray, the results of a CT scan are used by cancer doctors to diagnose and stage the cancer. This information is used to determine the best and most appropriate course of cancer treatment, and to provide a prognosis, which is a general idea of how doctors expect the disease to progress. CT scans and other tests may be carried out after diagnosis. In these cases the tests are used to determine how effective your current treatment is.

The CT Scan Procedure

A CT scan is almost like an x-ray, in that a series of several separate x-ray images are taken during the procedure. However, the major difference is that a CT scan takes a large number of images, rather than just one or two. Using a CT scan to take many different images allows technicians and doctors to construct a three-dimensional image of the inside of the body.

If you undergo a CT scan you may be given an intravenous injection of dye that helps produce a more detailed picture by increasing the contrast of the images that are taken. The injection might be slightly uncomfortable, but unless you have an unexpected allergic reaction to the dye that is used, there is no danger.

In some cases you may receive a CT scan at the same time as another procedure called a PET scan. Carrying out both tests at the same time allows specialists to get additional information about the location of mesothelioma and whether it has spread to other locations.
Test Results

In most cases, test results for a CT scan will be available within a few days. The scan images are interpreted by a doctor who is specialized in reading the detailed images produced by CT equipment. After the results have been read, your doctor will receive a summary of the findings and will review the results with you and what they mean.