Chest X-rays are often the first test done when a person has certain symptoms. These can include a cough that doesn’t go away or shortness of breath. X-rays of your chest can show fluid or other signs of cancer in the spaces around your lungs. X-rays of your belly (abdomen) can help your healthcare provider see if there might be areas of cancer there. If a change is seen on an X-ray, your provider may do other imaging tests.

A CT scan uses X-rays taken from many angles to make detailed pictures of the inside of your body. A CT scan shows much more detail than an X-ray.

A PET scan uses a form of radioactive sugar (glucose) that's put into your blood. Cancer cells are more active than normal cells. So they tend to take up more of the glucose. A special camera then takes pictures of where this glucose is being used in your body. This scan looks at your entire body. It can help see if the cancer has spread.

A PET scan can be done with a CT scan. This lets the doctor use details of the CT scan to look at the areas where the sugar collects.

This test takes a small piece from a tumor in your chest.

A long, thin lighted tube with a tiny camera on the end (thoracoscope) is put in through a cut (incision) in the skin over your chest. It's slid into your chest to look at the tumor. The doctor looks carefully at the lining of the inner part of your chest and your lung. Then he or she removes pieces of tissue from the tumor for the biopsy.

This test takes a small sample from a tumor in your belly (abdomen).

The doctor puts a narrow, lighted tube with a tiny camera on the end (laparoscope) through a cut in the skin over your belly to look at the tumor. He or she looks carefully at the lining of the inner part of your belly and over your intestines and other organs. Small pieces are taken from suspicious-looking areas so they can be tested for cancer.

For this test, your healthcare provider uses a long, thin tube (bronchoscope). The tube goes into your mouth, down your windpipe, and into the main air passages of your lungs. This tube lets your provider see if there are any tumors in your airways. He or she can also take a biopsy while doing this test.

In this surgery, your healthcare provider makes a larger cut in your chest. This is done to remove a larger piece of tissue from the tumor, or maybe the entire tumor. This is often the best way to make a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

In this surgery, your healthcare provider makes a larger cut in your belly. This is done to remove a larger piece of tissue from the tumor or the entire tumor.

These procedures are used to take out fluid for testing. Your healthcare provider uses a long, hollow needle and syringe to do this. He or she puts the needle through your skin to remove fluid from your chest (thoracentesis), from the sac around your heart (pericardiocentesis), or from your belly (paracentesis).

It can be hard to diagnose mesothelioma by looking at fluid or tissue samples. This is because this cancer can look a lot like other kinds of cancer. Special lab tests may need to be done to know if and what type of mesothelioma it is.