Biopsy

A biopsy is a diagnostic test in which your doctor removes cells or tissue from your body for examination by a pathologist, a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing diseases using microscopes. Your doctor will probably order a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma or other cancer.

If your doctor suspects mesothelioma, he or she will remove a sample of tissue from your chest or abdomen for testing at a pathology lab. This biopsy tissue will then be sent to your pathologist, who will issue a pathology report with a final diagnosis.

The biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the cancer is located. If the cancer appears to be a pleural mesothelioma, your doctor may order a core needle biopsy (CNB) or a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. He or she will use a CT machine or other imaging test such as an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to locate the abnormal tissue, and then insert a biopsy needle through the chest wall into the suspect lung tissue.

Hospice

Family members may reach the point where they need additional help to care for their loved one suffering from mesothelioma. Families may want to consider hospice care. Hospice provides care to patients who are in the terminal stages of an illness. In order to qualify for hospice care, your condition must be considered incurable and terminal and your doctor must certify that your life expectancy is six months or less.

Hospice teams include medical professionals, counselors, therapists, social workers, spiritual advisors, home health aides and trained volunteers. The goal of hospice is to care for those who are in the last stages of life. It endeavors to enhance the quality of life and make the last stages of life as comfortable as possible. It provides emotional, psychological, and spiritual care and support for you and your family.

Focus on Pain Management and Family Support

In hospice, the focus of care has changed. It is no longer concerned with aggressive measures to cure a disease. Instead, it focuses on relieving pain, anxiety, and other symptoms, so those who are dying may do so with dignity and in the comfort of their own homes with their loved ones caring for them. Often this is referred to as palliative care.

Latency

Latency refers to the length of time between the first exposure to a toxic or carcinogenic substance such as asbestos, and the onset of the disease caused by the toxin. Most asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period of at least 10 to 40 years.

For example, it typically takes 20 to 40 years to develop malignant mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos. Likewise, it usually takes 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to develop pleural plaques, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer. In some cases, the latency period may be as short as 10 years after exposure. In other cases, it may take 50 years or more.

Mesothelium

The mesothelium is a thin, two-layer membrane that surrounds the entire surface of the lungs and heart as well as the organs in the abdomen. The mesothelial lining of the lungs is called the pleura, the lining of the heart is called the pericardium, and the lining of the abdomen is called the peritoneum.

The mesothelium protects your internal organs, and produces a lubricating fluid that allows your lungs and heart to glide easily against your chest wall. Without this protective lining, your lungs and heart would be unable to expand and contract freely. Thus, while few people have ever heard of the mesothelium, your body cannot function normally without it.

Mesothelioma & Navy Veterans

Navy Personnel are at Risk for Developing Mesothelioma

Veterans from all branches of the armed forces including the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are at risk for developing mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure sustained while on active duty serving their country. Mesothelioma Navy cases, however, are typically those recognized as the most common. Over time, these military veterans and particularly, Navy veterans and shipyard workers, have demonstrated a higher rate of developing mesothelioma than individuals with no military or navy history. These brave men and women, who so honorably served our country from World War II through the Vietnam War, were unknowingly exposed to high levels of airborne asbestos dust throughout their tours of duty. Until the late 1970 and early 1980, products containing asbestos were made and used extensively in military establishments and on Navy warships and submarines. Warships were constructed using many types of asbestos containing products including pipe-fittings, gaskets, cables, cement, joint compound and boiler insulation just to name a few. Military vehicles were equipped with asbestos containing gaskets, clutches and brakes. When constructing buildings on our nation army bases floor covering materials, cement mixtures and plumbing systems frequently contained asbestos based products. Exposed insulation and airborne dust from grinding and sanding or ongoing maintenance procedures all created dangerous opportunities for Navy veterans to be exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma and Veterans

Veterans can develop mesothelioma as 

a result of asbestos exposure during their military service.

For decades, the men and women from all four branches (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines) of the United States military have defended our country, both in times of war and in times of peace. Veterans put their lives on the line each and every day, both on the battlefront and at the many U.S. military bases located around the world. Of all the individuals in the United States that have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer, the veteran population has been affected the most.

The simple reason for this increased risk is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos, the only known cause of mesothelioma, was used by the U.S. military in literally hundreds of applications. Because exposure was unavoidable for some, mesothelioma remains one of the most serious diseases affecting veterans today, particularly those who served between World War II and the Vietnam Conflict.

Dr. Valerie Rusch New York, New York

Professional Highlights

Dr. Valerie Rusch has gained international recognition for her work in surgically treating mesothelioma, lung cancer and cancer of the thorax, esophagus and chest wall. Dr. Rusch currently serves as Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She is also the Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Surgery and she holds the prestigious William G. Cahan Chair.

Valerie W. Rusch, M.D. is a surgeon and researcher who dedicates her career to thoracic surgical oncology and clinical research. She has worked extensively through a number of NCI Cooperative Groups and has participated on numerous Review Committees, Evaluation Panels, Subcommittees and Professional Societies to pioneer efforts to understand how patients will respond to different mesothelioma treatment modalities and to identify ways to be able to diagnose mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers at earlier stages (stage 1 and stage 2).

Educational Background and Professional Appointments

Dr. Rusch received her medical degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed residencies in both general and cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Washington and from 1982-1983 she served as a Faculty Associate at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Prior to moving to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 1989, Dr. Valerie Rusch completed a six year faculty assignment at the University of Washington.