Stages of Mesothelioma

When a patient is diagnosed with any form of Mesothelioma, they go through a “staging” process, which basically is where the doctor finds out how far the cancer has spread out. A lot of the staging process involves CT scans, multiple x-rays, and even MRI’s of the patient’s body. The doctor needs to go through this critical stage in order to form an effective treatment plan for the patient. Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common type, so therefore it is studied the most, and is the only form in which staging classifications exist. Not only are there different types of Mesothelioma, but there are also different staging types that a doctor may reference in the staging process. The most common and most often used is the Butchart Staging System. This system focuses on the extent of the primary mass (tumor), and it divides the Mesothelioma into 4 stages. Continue Reading »
The Stages of Mesothelioma