Types of Mesothelioma Doctors

From the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment, the mesolthelioma cancer patient works with a treatment team comprised of healthcare providers and specialists that include dietitians, nurses, social workers, therapists, pharmacists as well as others. In addition, the patient works with different types of mesothelioma doctors. Each one plays a unique and important role in assessing the patient and providing holistic care for their overall positive well-being.

General Practitioner/Primary Care Physician

This is the first of the types of mesothelioma doctors a patient comes in contact with to assess symptoms. The primary care physician orders a variety of tests to indicate whether the patient has a prognosis of mesothelioma. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma with symptoms that include shortness of breath, wheezing and a dry unproductive cough, and chest pain which results from a buildup of fluid in the lungs known as pleural effusion. Another type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothlioma which also shows through chest pain and breathing difficulties. In peritoneal mesothelioma, patients experience stomach pain and buildup of fluid in the abdomen known as ascites. Depending on the symptoms the patient exhibits, the general practitioner will order preliminary diagnostic testing which includes chest x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and other imaging tests. If any of the results indicate mesothelioma, the patient will be referred to a pathologist, like a pulmonologist, for a tissue biopsy.

Pathologist

A pathologist is also one of the types of mesothelioma doctors that examine body tissue or fluid for signs of disease or damage, and then writes a report describing cell conditions and whether, based on their findings, there is mesothelioma. The pathologist further describes the type of cancer and the grade in the cells, which is critical to the formation of effective treatment planning. The report is then forwarded to the patient’s medical practitioner, medical oncologist, and surgeon if the patient has one.

Medical Oncologist

The oncologist, who specializes in the treatment of cancer, determines how advanced the mesothelioma is through a process known as staging, and helps the patient make the appropriate choices for which treatment plan to pursue. Depending on the progression of the disease, this might include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The oncologist is then responsible for coordinating chemotherapy treatments if they are needed.

Surgeon

If the mesothelioma is intercepted early, medical oncologists will commonly recommend surgical intervention and the patient will be referred to a surgeon of the relevant specialization. A pleural mesothelioma patient, for example, would work with a thoracic surgeon which would have extensive training in surgical procedures that pertain to organs in the thoracic cavity. These include components of the respiratory system like the lungs and other organs like the heart, the esophagus, the diaphragm, and chest wall. The surgeon might pursue a procedure called extrapleural pneumonectomy which involves the removal of parts or the entire diseased lung, as well as affected parts of the heart membrane known as the pericardium, the diaphragm muscle and the parietal pleura, the membrane lining of the chest.

Radiation Oncologist/ Radiologist

A radiologist uses imaging technology to make a diagnosis while a radiation oncologist uses radiation on patients as a form of treatment. Radiation kills cancer cells, like mesothelioma tumor cells, through targeted particles or waves. It does not necessarily increase life-expectancy of patients when it is used on its own, but it can be successful when combined with other treatment options like surgery and chemotherapy.

Each one of these types of mesothelioma doctors is important in the entire process from the initial steps to diagnosis to the perusal of optimal treatment options and specialized care.