- Pulmonologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating lung diseases.
- Radiologist. This is a doctor who is specially trained to supervise x-ray tests and look at x-ray pictures.
- Surgeon or medical oncologist. A medical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer. The surgeon or oncologist may take a tissue sample from you to study under a microscope.
- Pathologist. A pathologist is a doctor who specializes in identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope. A pathologist may study your tissue sample.
Exposure to Asbestos
Your doctor will want to know about your history of asbestos exposure. He or she may ask about your work history and your spouse's or other family members’ work historie.
Your doctor also may ask about your location and surroundings. For example, he or she may ask about areas of the country where you've lived.
If you know you were exposed to asbestos, your doctor may ask questions to find out:
- How much asbestos you were exposed to. For example, were you surrounded by visible asbestos dust?
- How long you were exposed to asbestos and how often during that time you were in direct contact with it.