Diagnostic Tools & Biomarkers

Terms in this category

• 8-Nitroguanine8-Nitroguanine is a chemically damaged form of guanine, one of the four building blocks of DNA. It forms when…
• 8-OHdG8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) is a chemically modified form of the DNA building block guanosine that f…
• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)Alpha-fetoprotein is a protein normally produced by the liver and yolk sac of a developing fetus. In adults, …
• Ascitic Fluid CytologyAscitic fluid cytology is the laboratory examination of fluid drawn from the abdominal cavity (ascites) to lo…
• Atypical Mesothelial ProliferationAtypical mesothelial proliferation is the term a pathologist uses when mesothelial cells look abnormal but ca…
• AutopsyAn autopsy is a medical examination of the body after death to determine the cause of death and the diseases …
• B-ReaderA B-Reader is a physician, usually a radiologist or pulmonologist, who has passed a National Institute for Oc…
• B72.3 (TAG-72)B72.3 is a monoclonal antibody used in immunohistochemistry (IHC), a laboratory staining technique applied to…
• BAL FluidBAL fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) is the liquid recovered when a doctor washes a small section of the …
• Ber-EP4Ber-EP4 is an antibody used in pathology to detect a protein (EpCAM) found on the surface of most adenocarcin…
• Beta-hCGBeta-hCG (beta human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone protein normally produced during pregnancy by place…
• BiomarkerA biomarker is a measurable biological signal, often a protein, gene, or other substance in blood, tissue, or…
• Biomarker TestingBiomarker testing looks for specific molecules, proteins, genes, or other signals in blood, tissue, or fluid …
• BiopsyA biopsy is a procedure in which a doctor removes a small sample of tissue, fluid, or cells so it can be exam…
• Broad-spectrum CytokeratinBroad-spectrum cytokeratin refers to a group of antibody stains (such as AE1/AE3, CAM 5.2, and MNF116) that d…
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)Bronchoalveolar lavage is a procedure in which a thin, flexible scope (bronchoscope) is passed into a small a…
• BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor passes a thin, flexible tube with a camera (a bronchoscope) thr…
• CA-125CA-125 (cancer antigen 125) is a protein measured in the blood that can be elevated in several cancers, inclu…
• CalretininCalretinin is a calcium-binding protein that pathologists detect in tissue samples to help confirm mesothelio…
• CAM5.2CAM5.2 is a monoclonal antibody used by pathologists to detect low-molecular-weight cytokeratins (cytokeratin…
• CAP/Roggli Histologic CriterionThe CAP/Roggli histologic criterion is a pathology standard used to confirm a diagnosis of asbestosis by requ…
• Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)CEA is a protein normally produced during fetal development that can reappear in the blood of adults with cer…
• CD34CD34 is a protein found on the surface of certain cells, including blood vessel lining cells (endothelial cel…
• Cell BlockA cell block is a small paraffin block made from cells spun out of pleural fluid, ascites or a needle aspirat…
• Chest X-RayA chest X-ray is a quick, low-dose picture of the lungs, heart and chest wall. It is the standard first test …
• CK7CK7 (Cytokeratin 7) is a protein found in the structural skeleton of certain epithelial and mesothelial cells…
• Claudin-4Claudin-4 is a protein found in the tight junctions between cells that line body cavities and organs (epithel…
• Completeness of Cytoreduction (CC) ScoreThe Completeness of Cytoreduction (CC) Score is a surgical grading system used to describe how much visible t…
• Composite Nuclear Grading SystemThe Composite Nuclear Grading System is a pathology scoring method used to predict prognosis in epithelioid m…
• Confluent DiseaseConfluent disease describes a stage of an illness in which separate, individual lesions or abnormalities have…
• Crackling RalesCrackling rales (also called crackles or crepitations) are abnormal lung sounds a doctor hears through a stet…
• CT ScanA CT (computed tomography) scan is an imaging test that combines many X-ray pictures taken from different ang…
• ctDNActDNA is small fragments of DNA shed into the bloodstream by cancer cells as they grow, die, or turn over. Be…
• Cytokeratin 5/6Cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6) are structural proteins found in certain cell types, including mesothelial cells (whi…
• CytologyCytology is the laboratory examination of individual cells (usually collected from fluids, washings, or fine-…
• CytopathologyCytopathology is the branch of pathology that diagnoses disease by examining individual cells, rather than in…
• DesminDesmin is a protein found inside muscle cells that helps hold their internal structure together. Pathologists…
• Diagnostic LaparoscopyDiagnostic laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which a surgeon makes small incisions in…
• Differential DiagnosisA differential diagnosis is the systematic process a physician uses to identify which disease is causing a pa…
• Diffusing Capacity (DLCO)Diffusing capacity, or DLCO (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide), is a breathing test that me…
• Diffusion-Weighted MRIDiffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI or DWI) is a specialized form of magnetic resonance imaging that measures how …
• Doppler UltrasoundDoppler ultrasound is a painless imaging test that uses sound waves to measure how blood moves through vessel…
• EchocardiogramAn echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of the heart that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of its c…
• ECOG Performance StatusECOG Performance Status is a simple 0-to-5 scale doctors use to rate how well a patient can carry out everyda…
• EndoscopyEndoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube with a camera (an endoscope) into the…
• Endotracheal BiopsyAn endotracheal biopsy is a procedure in which a doctor removes a small piece of tissue from the inside linin…
• Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA)EMA, also known as MUC1, is a protein found on the surface of many cell types that pathologists detect using …
• F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)FDG is a radioactive sugar (a glucose molecule tagged with a small amount of radioactive fluorine-18) that is…
• Ferruginous BodiesFerruginous bodies are microscopic structures that form in the lungs when the body coats an inhaled fiber wit…
• FEV1FEV1, or forced expiratory volume in one second, is the amount of air you can forcefully blow out in the firs…
• FEV1/FVC RatioThe FEV1/FVC ratio compares how much air a person can blow out in the first second (FEV1) with the total amou…
• Fiber Burden AnalysisFiber burden analysis is a laboratory test that counts and identifies the asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies…
• Fibulin-3Fibulin-3 is a protein made by cells that helps hold tissue scaffolding together. In medicine, it is studied …
• Fine-Needle AspirationFine-needle aspiration is a biopsy that uses a very thin needle to draw out cells from a lump, lymph node or …
• Fluid CytologyFluid cytology is a laboratory test in which fluid drained from a body cavity, most often the chest (pleural …
• Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH)FISH is a laboratory test that uses fluorescent DNA probes to detect specific genetic changes inside cells un…
• Frozen SectionA frozen section is a quick diagnosis made during surgery: the pathologist freezes a piece of tissue, cuts a …
• FVCFVC stands for Forced Vital Capacity, the total volume of air you can blow out as hard and as fast as possibl…
• GATA3GATA3 is a protein that pathologists stain for in tissue samples, using a test called immunohistochemistry. I…
• Ground-Glass OpacityA ground-glass opacity is a hazy gray area on a CT scan of the lungs, through which the blood vessels and air…
• HBME-1HBME-1 (Hector Battifora Mesothelial epitope-1) is an antibody used in immunohistochemistry, a laboratory tec…
• HEG1HEG1 is a protein on the surface of mesothelial cells that pathologists can stain for in tissue samples. A sp…
• Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) StainHematoxylin and eosin, or H&E, is the standard stain used on almost every tissue slide. Hematoxylin colors ce…
• Heterologous ElementsHeterologous elements are areas inside a tumor that look like a different tissue, such as bone, cartilage or …
• High-Power FieldA high-power field (HPF) is the area of a microscope slide visible at the highest routine magnification, typi…
• High-Resolution CT (HRCT)High-resolution CT (HRCT) is a specialized CT scan that produces very detailed, thin-slice images of the lung…
• Histological SubtypeHistological subtype refers to the category a tumor is placed in based on how its cells look under a microsco…
• HistopathologyHistopathology is the study of diseased tissue under a microscope to diagnose illness. A pathologist examines…
• ICD-10 Code C45C45 is the code for mesothelioma in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases,…
• ILO ClassificationThe ILO Classification is a standardized system for reading and grading chest X-rays for signs of pneumoconio…
• ImmunohistochemistryImmunohistochemistry (IHC) is a laboratory technique that uses antibodies tagged with a colored stain to dete…
• Impairment RatingAn impairment rating is a doctor's measurement of how much a disease or injury has reduced a person's body fu…
• Ki-67Ki-67 is a protein found in cells that are actively dividing, and pathologists measure it to gauge how fast a…
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme found inside almost every cell in the body that helps convert sugar into e…
• LaparotomyA laparotomy is a surgery in which a doctor makes a long incision through the abdominal wall to see and opera…
• LaryngoscopyLaryngoscopy is a procedure that lets a doctor look directly at the larynx (voice box) and surrounding throat…
• Lesion ScoreA lesion score is a numerical rating that pathologists or radiologists assign to describe how extensive or se…
• Light's CriteriaLight's criteria are a set of laboratory rules doctors use to tell what kind of fluid has built up around the…
• Liquid BiopsyA liquid biopsy is a test that looks for traces of cancer in a body fluid, usually blood, instead of in a pie…
• Low-Dose CT ScreeningLow-dose CT screening is a yearly CT scan of the chest, using much less radiation than a standard diagnostic …
• Lung-RADSLung-RADS is the scoring system radiologists use to report lung cancer screening CT scans. Each scan gets a c…
• M DescriptorThe M descriptor is the part of the TNM cancer staging system that indicates whether a cancer has spread (met…
• MediastinoscopyMediastinoscopy is a surgical procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin, lighted scope through a small incis…
• Medical ThoracoscopyMedical thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a doctor inserts a small camera through the c…
• MESOMARK® AssayThe MESOMARK assay is a blood test that measures soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP), proteins release…
• MesothelinMesothelin is a protein found on the surface of normal mesothelial cells (the thin lining around the lungs, a…
• Mesothelioma MisclassificationMesothelioma misclassification is when a mesothelioma is wrongly identified as another cancer (or vice versa)…
• Mesothelioma StagingMesothelioma staging is the process of describing how far the cancer has spread, from limited disease confine…
• Mitotic CountMitotic count is the number of cells actively dividing (in mitosis) that a pathologist sees when examining a …
• Mitotic IndexThe mitotic index is a measurement of how many cells in a tumor sample are actively dividing at the moment th…
• MOC-31MOC-31 is an antibody used in pathology laboratories to detect a protein called EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesi…
• Modified RECIST (mRECIST)Modified RECIST (mRECIST) is the standard way of measuring whether pleural mesothelioma is shrinking, stable …
• MRIMRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a scan that uses a strong magnet and radio waves, not radiation, to produ…
• MTAPMTAP (methylthioadenosine phosphorylase) is a gene and its protein, normally present in most cells. In many m…
• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)Next-Generation Sequencing is a high-speed laboratory technology that reads the DNA (and sometimes RNA) of ma…
• Nuclear AtypiaNuclear atypia refers to abnormal features of the nucleus of a cell (such as unusual size, shape, irregular b…
• Nuclear GradingNuclear grading is a system pathologists use to score how abnormal the nuclei (the control centers) of tumor …
• Nuclear PleomorphismNuclear pleomorphism is a microscopic feature in which the nuclei of cells vary noticeably in size, shape, an…
• Omental InvolvementOmental involvement means that the omentum (a fatty, apron-like sheet of tissue that hangs from the stomach a…
• OsteopontinOsteopontin (OPN) is a protein released by many cell types, including inflamed tissues and some tumors, that …
• Oxygen SaturationOxygen saturation is the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen. It is usually measure…
• paracentesisParacentesis is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin needle or small catheter through the abdominal w…
• Pathology ReportA pathology report is the document a pathologist writes after examining tissue or fluid under a microscope to…
• Pathology ReviewPathology review is a second, careful examination of the tissue or fluid samples taken during a biopsy, usual…
• PD-L1PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) is a protein found on the surface of some cells, including many cancer cell…
• Performance StatusPerformance status is a standardized score doctors use to describe how well a patient can carry out everyday …
• Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI)The Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) is a scoring system surgeons use to measure how much tumor is present insid…
• Peritoneal fractionPeritoneal fraction refers to the proportion of mesothelioma cases that arise in the peritoneum (the lining o…
• PET ScanA PET scan (positron emission tomography) is an imaging test that shows how tissues in the body are using ene…
• PET-CTPET-CT is an imaging test that combines a positron emission tomography (PET) scan with a computed tomography …
• PharyngoscopyPharyngoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor examines the pharynx, the part of the throat behind the mouth …
• Placental Alkaline Phosphatase (PLAP)Placental alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme normally produced by the placenta during pregnancy that can also …
• PleomorphicPleomorphic means "having many shapes." In pathology, it describes cells that vary widely in size, shape, and…
• Pleural BiopsyA pleural biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small sample of tissue is removed from the pleura, the thi…
• Pleural ThicknessPleural thickness refers to how thick the pleura, the thin membrane lining the lungs and inner chest wall, ap…
• Podoplanin (D2-40)D2-40 is an antibody used in pathology that binds to a protein called podoplanin. Mesothelioma cells (especia…
• Posteroanterior (PA) ViewThe posteroanterior (PA) view is the standard chest X-ray taken with the X-ray beam passing from the patient'…
• Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are a group of breathing tests that measure how much air your lungs can hold,…
• Recurrence-Free SurvivalRecurrence-free survival (RFS) is the length of time after primary treatment (usually surgery, sometimes comb…
• RoentgenThe Roentgen (symbol R) is an older unit measuring exposure to X-ray or gamma radiation, defined by how much …
• S-100S-100 is a family of proteins detected by immunohistochemistry staining of tissue samples. Certain tumors lik…
• Six-Minute Walk TestThe six-minute walk test measures how far a person can walk on a flat indoor course in six minutes, usually w…
• Solid Architectural PatternThe solid architectural pattern is one of the ways mesothelioma cells can be arranged when a pathologist look…
• Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP)Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP) are protein fragments shed into the bloodstream by cells that prod…
• Specimen TypeSpecimen type refers to the kind of tissue or fluid sample collected from a patient for laboratory analysis. …
• Spindle CellA spindle cell is a long, thin, tapered cell that looks elongated and pointed under the microscope, somewhat …
• SpirogramA spirogram is the graph or tracing produced during a breathing test (spirometry) that shows how much air you…
• SpirometrySpirometry is a common breathing test that measures how much air you can move in and out of your lungs and ho…
• SputumSputum is the thick mucus produced deep in the lungs and airways that is brought up by coughing. It is differ…
• Stage GroupingStage grouping is the process of combining several individual cancer measurements — most often tumor size and…
• Stage IAStage IA is the earliest formal stage of pleural mesothelioma under the TNM staging system. It describes a tu…
• StagingStaging is the process doctors use to describe how far a cancer has spread in the body at the time of diagnos…
• Subpleural Curvilinear LineA subpleural curvilinear line is a thin curved line seen on high-resolution CT within about a centimeter of t…
• ThoracoscopyThoracoscopy is a procedure in which a surgeon inserts a small camera through a tiny incision in the chest wa…
• Thyroid Transcription Factor-1 (TTF-1)TTF-1 is a protein found inside the nuclei of cells in the thyroid gland and in certain lung cells. Pathologi…
• TNM ClassificationTNM is the international system doctors use to describe how far a cancer has spread. It combines three letter…
• TNM StagingTNM staging is a standardized system for describing how far a cancer has spread, using three factors: T for t…
• Tumor MarkerA tumor marker is a substance, often a protein, that can be measured in blood, other fluids, or tissue and ma…
• Tumor-Infiltrating LymphocytesTumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are white blood cells of the immune system, mostly T cells, that have moved ou…
• UltrasoundUltrasound is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce real-time images…
• Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS)VATS is a minimally invasive chest surgery in which a surgeon makes a few small incisions between the ribs an…
• WHO ClassificationThe WHO Classification is the World Health Organization's official system for naming and categorizing tumors …