Personal Injury Law

The Stages Of Mesothelioma (Part 1 of 3)

By Thomas J. Lamb at AsbestosHUB.com

Mesothelioma is a deadly disease caused by asbestos exposure.  A person that has been exposed to asbestos might go more than 20 years before any signs of this terminal disease present themselves.  

Once malignant mesothelioma has been diagnosed, the next step is a process called staging. Staging is the process of assessing how severe malignant mesothelioma is and whether or not it has spread to other organs (metastasized) or remained in one place (localized). It is been used to estimate a victim’s prognosis and to determine the most suitable therapy.

Use of Imaging to Stage Mesothelioma

When mesothelioma is diagnosed, an imaging procedure is needed to determine the extent of the cancer and how far it has spread (metastasized). The imaging options your physician may use include:

• Chest x-ray
• CT scan of the chest and/or abdomen
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan of the chest and/or abdomen
• PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan of the chest and/or abdomen

In this three part series we will cover the three systems which are used to categorize these stages of mesothelioma.  First, the Butchart System.

Butchart System of Staging

The Burchart System of staging is the oldest and most commonly used.  It categorizes the stages of mesothelioma based on the size and extent of the tumor.

Stage 1

Malignant mesothelioma has affected the right or left side of the chest cavity (pleura) and may be seen in the diaphragm.

Stage 2

Malignant mesothelioma has been found in the pleura on both sides of the body and may have also moved into the heart, stomach, or esophagus on both sides. Lymph nodes may be affected.

Stage 3

Malignant mesothelioma has reached the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). Lymph nodes past the chest may be affected.

Stage 4

Malignant mesothelioma has reached other organs and has entered the blood stream.

For more information visit Asbestos-Mesothelioma.com and MedicineNet.com.

Next time, the TNM System.

Full post as published by Asbestos HUB on December 03, 2009 (boomark / email).