Mesothelioma diagnosis is an error prone field if the physician conducting it lacks enough experience in it. There are three factors that impair correct and speedy diagnosis mesothelioma. The cancer is comparatively rare and as such, the number of doctors and cancer centers who have enough expertise is much less. Secondly, the most common symptoms, shortness or breath and unrelenting cough are symptomatic of lesser diseases like influenza and pneumonias. Finally, the symptoms shown by all three forms of this cancer carry more or less similar symptoms and any misdiagnosis here may result in wrong treatment being imparted. The situation is compounded manifold due to the behavior of the cancer to show up only when the situation is unredeemable.

In the case of mesothelioma, mostly the disease is detected only when the patient goes to the doctor for some other check ups. If there is any scope of doubt, the physician may start diagnosis mesothelioma with a thorough investigation of the patient's work and medical history. The work history itself can testify cancer in many cases and a thorough diagnosis confirms the doubt.

Many imaging tests are used as a first step in mesothelioma detection. They include MRI, CT Scan, X-ray of the chest and abdomen etc. But these tests cannot confirm cancerous growths. Apart from this additional lung tests are conducted in many cases.

Thoracoscopy is a typical test conducted by doctors to detect the disease. Here an instrument called the thoracoscope is utilized to look into the chest cavity through a cut made between two ribs. A local anesthetic is given to the victim when the probe is done. Like this, medical professionals may also employ another test called petoneoscopy using a special tool called peritoneoscope to check the abdomen to see if there is any unusual growth. The worst fears are confirmed through a test called biopsy, which is the most modern confirmative tests of cancer. Here a small piece of the suspicious tissue is removed and is examined under the microscope to examine thoroughly if any cancer cells are found.

Unfortunately, the existence of the cancer is detected very late and by then, the chances of successful cure may be totally gone. Therefore, it is very essential on the part of every person who had been under asbestos exposure at some point of time to visit a mesothelioma doctor periodically and get checked. If a doubt comes up, doctors need to conduct immediate diagnosis mesothelioma so that the life of the patient is prolonged satisfactorily.