Mesothelioma can be misdiagnosed as lung cancer, pneumonia, and other illnesses since it’s rare and shares symptoms with these more common health issues. If mesothelioma is misdiagnosed, it can prevent you from getting the treatments you need. See a specialist to get an accurate diagnosis.
Can Mesothelioma Be Misdiagnosed?
Yes, doctors may misdiagnose mesothelioma as other types of cancer or even less serious health problems like the flu. The American Cancer Society (ACS) notes that mesothelioma can be challenging to diagnose.
This cancer is very rare, with only about 1,000 cases in veterans per year, and vague symptoms like a cough and shortness of breath can easily be mistaken for more common conditions.
Almost 1 in 3 patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are misdiagnosed with another health issue at first. A mesothelioma misdiagnosis can prevent you from getting the care needed to live longer with this cancer. In turn, this can worsen your overall health outlook.
Get a Free Veterans Packet now to learn how you can get quickly and accurately diagnosed with mesothelioma and start treatments that may help you live longer.
Steps to Take If You May Have Been Misdiagnosed
The possibility that you have experienced a mesothelioma misdiagnosis can be scary, but there are simple steps that allow you to take control of your health.
Here are key steps to take to prevent a mesothelioma misdiagnosis:
- Review your symptoms and asbestos exposure history (only asbestos causes this cancer).
- Tell your doctor that you’re concerned about a mesothelioma misdiagnosis. Mention if you or a loved one was ever exposed to asbestos.
- Request a second opinion from an oncologist (cancer doctor) who can confirm if you’ve been misdiagnosed.
It’s important to reach out to your medical team promptly if you’re concerned about a mesothelioma misdiagnosis. The sooner you get a second opinion, the faster you can get the answers you need.
How Second Opinions Prevent Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
Mesothelioma second opinions are very helpful as they can catch a case of this cancer if it has been mistaken for a more common and potentially less serious health concern. This means you can start getting the right medical care to potentially live longer with mesothelioma.
You don’t have to feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for a second opinion, especially if there is a risk that you could have mesothelioma, which is a serious cancer. Your doctor won’t be offended. Speak up and request one promptly.
“Patients will sometimes say to me, ‘I don't want to hurt your feelings by getting a second opinion.’ This is not about feelings. This is about your body and your health.”
— Dr. Andrea Wolf, mesothelioma specialist
Second opinions can prove lifesaving. For instance, U.S. veteran Art Putt was misdiagnosed with pneumonia after he developed a cough. However, he had been exposed to asbestos decades earlier.
With more testing, Art was diagnosed with mesothelioma and started treatment. Diagnosed in 2018, he’s still alive today — nearly a decade later.
Pleural Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of this cancer, and it forms in the lining of the lungs (pleura). It causes symptoms like a cough, difficulty breathing, and pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the lung lining), which could be mistaken for more common respiratory illnesses.
Pleural mesothelioma misdiagnoses include:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Emphysema
- Influenza
- Lung cancer
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Other respiratory conditions
Pleural mesothelioma may not cause symptoms until the cancer has started to spread. For this reason, speak with your doctor promptly if you’re experiencing any symptoms of mesothelioma and are worried that you may have been misdiagnosed.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
Peritoneal mesothelioma forms in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain in the abdomen, swelling, weight loss, and nausea, all of which can be mistaken for many other abdominal conditions.
Peritoneal mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as:
- Crohn's disease
- Gallstones
- Hernia
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Ovarian cancer
You may only experience vague symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma at first. For this reason, it’s important to tell your doctor about any possible asbestos exposure. This can help them keep mesothelioma in mind as they work toward making a diagnosis.
Call (877) 450-8973 now for free help finding doctors who can make sure you have an accurate mesothelioma diagnosis and recommend the best treatments for your case.
Pericardial Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
Pericardial mesothelioma (cancer of the heart lining) is very rare. Fewer than 1% of mesothelioma cases fall under this type, so symptoms like irregular heartbeat and chest pain are easily misdiagnosed.
Pericardial mesothelioma misdiagnoses include:
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart disease
- Late-stage lung cancer
Promptly seeing a specialist can help rule out these more common misdiagnoses, allowing patients to get the right treatment options for pericardial mesothelioma.
Testicular Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
Testicular mesothelioma affects the lining of the testicles. It can cause swelling in the scrotum (hydrocele), which is often mild and rarely caused by cancer in general. For this reason, doctors may not think to test patients with this symptom for cancer.
Common testicular mesothelioma misdiagnoses include a hernia, an infection, a cyst, or other problems that more commonly affect the testicles. An accurate diagnosis is crucial to improving a patient’s health outlook.
Get a Free Veterans Packet to learn about getting a correct diagnosis faster and mesothelioma treatments that may help improve your survival time.
Misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma Stages
There are four mesothelioma stages that allow doctors to classify how far the cancer has spread through the body. Not correctly diagnosing the stage can impact which treatments you receive. For example, there are fewer treatment options in advanced stages.
Common misdiagnoses by mesothelioma stage include:
- Early stages (1 and 2): Flu, pneumonia, other respiratory illnesses
- Late stages (3 and 4): Late stages of other cancers
Even if a doctor is able to identify mesothelioma right away, they can still make mistakes when staging.
Up to 80% of mesothelioma patients thought to be in stages 1 or 2 were “upstaged” in surgery in a Journal of Clinical Oncology report. This meant the stage was higher than originally thought, leading to a worse mesothelioma prognosis (health outlook).
Mesothelioma can also be misdiagnosed as a different stage of cancer. Over 40% of mesothelioma cases were misdiagnosed as advanced carcinoma, according to an Annals of Diagnostic Pathology report.
Misdiagnosing Mesothelioma Cell Type
Doctors sometimes use the terms epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic when describing mesothelioma. This refers to the types of cells that make up mesothelioma tumors.
If doctors think you could have cancer, they need to remove a fluid or tissue sample and look for cancerous cells under a microscope. This is called a biopsy. However, mesothelioma cells could be mistaken for those of other cancers during this review.
Mesothelioma requires different treatment plans than other cancers, so a correct diagnosis of the cell type is crucial. If you’re worried about a mesothelioma misdiagnosis, request a second opinion.
Connect With Doctors to Avoid Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
You need a prompt and accurate diagnosis if you want to improve your chances of becoming a mesothelioma survivor. If you or someone you love may have been misdiagnosed, make sure to connect with a specialist as soon as possible.
A mesothelioma specialist can:
- Review your diagnosis to make sure it’s accurate
- Offer their own opinion if they think you’ve been misdiagnosed
- Provide guidance on the best treatments for you
If you’re a veteran with mesothelioma, we can help you find top cancer doctors in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care network, including ones near you.
Call (877) 450-8973 now or get our Free Veterans Packet for help finding a mesothelioma doctor who can diagnose you correctly.
Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis FAQs
Can mesothelioma be wrongly diagnosed?
Yes, mesothelioma can be wrongly diagnosed as other health problems like lung cancer, pneumonia, or the flu. In fact, about 1 in 3 mesothelioma cases are misdiagnosed.
Patients may need a second opinion (where another doctor reviews an initial diagnosis) to make sure that they have not been misdiagnosed with a less serious condition.
Why can mesothelioma be misdiagnosed?
Mesothelioma is hard to diagnose because it’s very rare (with only about 1,000 veterans diagnosed a year), it develops decades after asbestos exposure, and the symptoms can be mistaken for more common illnesses.
Be sure to share any history of asbestos exposure with your doctor, as this is the main risk factor and only known cause of mesothelioma. Doing so can potentially increase your odds of getting a correct diagnosis faster.
What can mimic mesothelioma?
Many illnesses can mimic mesothelioma, including lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pneumonia, and the flu. These conditions share symptoms with mesothelioma, such as a cough, shortness of breath, and chest or abdominal pain.
Call (877) 450-8973 now for help finding doctors who can review your case to correct a potential mesothelioma misdiagnosis and recommend treatments.
What test confirms mesothelioma?
A biopsy is the only way to completely rule out mesothelioma. With this test, doctors can see if any tumors you have are made up of mesothelioma cancer cells.
If you’ve been diagnosed with another condition but are concerned about mesothelioma, you can also ask to get a second opinion. This can help determine if any mistakes were made during the diagnosis process.
How long can you live with untreated mesothelioma?
Most patients only live less than a year with mesothelioma if they don’t get treated, and a mesothelioma misdiagnosis can prevent patients from getting the treatments they need.
Get a Free Veterans Packet to find out how you can get a prompt diagnosis and the right treatments that can potentially improve your life expectancy.
