Once mesothelioma has been diagnosed, it is important to know how far the disease has progressed. This is known as staging.
The stage, or progression, of the cancer depends on:
The T Status - the size of the tumor and whether it invades the lungs, breathing muscle (diaphragm), or heart sac (pericardium)
The N Status - whether lymph nodes inside or outside the lung are involved
The M Status - whether there are other areas outside the chest (metastases) that have cancer
Mesothelioma is difficult to stage with X-rays and sometimes requires other tests, including:
The NYU Division of Thoracic Surgery is recognized as the Biomarker Discovery Laboratory by the National Cancer Institute. The NYU Thoracic Oncology Program's expert multidisciplinary staff treats all stages of mesothelioma.