What Are Mesothelioma Immunohistochemical Stains?
Immunohistochemical staining is a test used to diagnose mesothelioma. If doctors think you have mesothelioma, you’ll likely have to get a biopsy, during which a sample of possibly cancerous tissue is removed from your body. IHC testing can be used on the biopsy to determine if you have cancer or not.
IHC works by detecting specific proteins, called markers or antigens, found on the surface of cancer cells. Different cancers produce different markers, and these help doctors confirm if the cells in your biopsy are from mesothelioma or another type of tumor.
Immunohistochemical Staining for Mesothelioma Quick Facts
- Also known as immunohistochemistry or immunostaining
- Considered “indispensable” in confirming a mesothelioma diagnosis according to Translational Lung Cancer Research
- Helps determine diagnosis, prognosis (health outlook), cancer cell type, and treatment plans as noted by the Cleveland Clinic
Use our Free Doctor Match for help finding specialists who can recommend immunohistochemical staining for mesothelioma and other tests to confirm your diagnosis.
4 Reasons Why IHC for Mesothelioma Helps
Testing for malignant mesothelioma immunohistochemical markers is very helpful. It allows your doctor to confirm your diagnosis, determine the mesothelioma cell type, and identify the best treatment options.
1. Preventing Mesothelioma Misdiagnosis
One of the biggest diagnostic challenges is telling mesothelioma cells apart from those of other cancers, like lung cancer or ovarian cancer. Thanks to mesothelioma IHC markers, doctors can know for sure that you have this cancer, allowing you to promptly get the medical care you deserve.
Without IHC staining, you could receive a mesothelioma misdiagnosis, and you won’t get the treatments needed to fight this cancer.
2. Identifying the Mesothelioma Cell Type
Doctors can use IHC to determine which mesothelioma cell type you have. The different mesothelioma cell types affect how aggressive your cancer is and which treatments will work best.
There are three cell types:
- Epithelioid malignant mesothelioma is the most common and easiest to treat.
- Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the rarest type but spreads quickly, so it’s harder to treat.
- Biphasic mesothelioma tumors contain both epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells. Patients have a better health outlook if there are more epithelioid cells.
While it can be especially scary to learn you have a more aggressive mesothelioma cell type, it’s very important to know this early on. This way, doctors can recommend the most effective treatment plan for your diagnosis.
3. Helping Determine Your Mesothelioma Prognosis
Immunostaining allows doctors to see which markers are present in your mesothelioma cancer to give you the most accurate prognosis possible. A mesothelioma prognosis includes the expected course of the disease, including how long you’ll live for.
Research from the National Cancer Institute shows that changes in certain markers, like BAP1, can potentially affect your prognosis. They can also show how your immune system interacts with cancer.
4. Informing Mesothelioma Treatment Plans
Your IHC results help your cancer center team tailor a mesothelioma treatment plan that gives you the best chance of living longer. This may include determining whether you’re a candidate for surgery (recommended for early-stage epithelioid mesothelioma), chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Details from your mesothelioma immunohistochemical stains can also help specialists match you to clinical trials, which test new treatments that could potentially improve your survival.
Call (866) 608-8933 for help getting a mesothelioma diagnosis and finding the best treatments for your case. Our nurses and Patient Advocates are standing by to assist you right now.
How Does Immunohistochemical Staining for Mesothelioma Work?
IHC staining for mesothelioma works by turning markers or antigens a specific color. The staining helps doctors to see the markers when reviewing your biopsy sample.
Here’s an overview of how mesothelioma immunostaining works:
- Receive a biopsy: This is a test where doctors take out a very small sample of tissue from your body that could be mesothelioma cancer. It’s the only way to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis.
- Biopsy review by pathologist: Once the biopsy sample is taken out, it’ll need to be reviewed by a pathologist under a microscope to see if there are cancer cells.
- Start IHC testing with antibodies: Doctors may know your biopsy shows cancer cells. But, they may not know what type of cancer the cells belong to. If this is the case, they’ll use IHC staining to look for antigens. Doctors will add substances called antibodies, which will want to attach themselves to markers or antigens.
- Look for color change: If the antibodies lock on, the antigens will get “stained” to a specific color that can be seen under the microscope. This will allow the pathology team to know for sure that you have mesothelioma and not another type of cancer.
Once a pathologist has determined you have mesothelioma, they’ll let your oncologist (cancer doctor) know. You’ll then work with your doctor to get a personalized treatment plan.
Mesothelioma IHC staining can be hard to understand if you’re not a medical professional. You can always ask your doctors to get a clearer idea of how IHC and other tests work to help confirm your mesothelioma diagnosis.
Download our Free Checklist of 14 Questions to Ask Your Doctor to help guide important conversations about your mesothelioma diagnosis and care plan.
Types of Immunohistochemical Markers for Mesothelioma
Your doctor can check for different immunohistochemical markers or antigens to tell mesothelioma apart from other cancers. They can also help determine your mesothelioma cell type.
Common immunohistochemical mesothelioma markers include:
- BAP1: Your cells may be missing the BAP1 gene, and IHC staining can help determine this. BAP1 gene mutations may increase your chances of developing mesothelioma, but only if you’ve been exposed to asbestos since this is the only known cause of the cancer.
- Calretinin: This is a common epithelial marker, meaning it can help determine if you have the epithelioid mesothelioma cell type.
- Cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6): Doctors can check for this specific marker to distinguish epithelioid mesothelioma from squamous cell carcinoma.
- HEG1: This marker appears to help confirm mesothelioma more effectively than some of the other tests, like calretinin, according to Translational Lung Cancer Research.
- Podoplanin (D2-40): This marker helps distinguish mesothelioma from ovarian cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and lung adenocarcinoma.
- Wilms’ Tumor 1 (WT1): Often used with calretinin to diagnose malignant pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma.
- Other markers: Doctors can check for other markers like E-cadherin, pancytokeratin, vimentin, MUC-1, BER-EP4, and more to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis through immunostaining.
- Negative markers: Doctors can use negative markers to know for sure that you don’t have mesothelioma, such as TTF-1 and claudin-4 that are found in carcinomas.
Pathologists may use several immunohistochemical markers for mesothelioma together rather than relying on one alone. This reduces risk of misdiagnosis.
Can Mesothelioma IHC Staining Help Prove Asbestos Exposure?
Yes. Exposure to asbestos fibers is the only known cause of mesothelioma. You were almost certainly exposed to this toxic substance if doctors determine you have mesothelioma.
Immunohistochemical staining for mesothelioma doesn’t directly look for asbestos. However, pathologists can sometimes detect asbestos fibers within biopsy samples when looking at them under a microscope, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center.
If there’s no asbestos, there’s no mesothelioma, it’s that simple. If you have mesothelioma, and you say, ‘Well, I’ve never been exposed to asbestos,’ you were exposed to it. You just don’t know where and you don’t know when.”
Asbestos fibers can cause other cancers besides mesothelioma, so it’s important for doctors to use immunostaining and other tests to make sure you’ve been properly diagnosed.
Get Help Confirming Your Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Immunohistochemical staining for mesothelioma can be helpful in confirming a diagnosis and determining the best treatments. If you’re worried you’ve been misdiagnosed, we can help you find doctors who can test for mesothelioma using IHC stains and other tests.
Our team includes registered nurses who can also help you understand a diagnosis, pursue treatments, and recommend financial compensation options to cover health care expenses your family may face.
Use our Free Doctor Match or call (866) 608-8933 to speak with us and access the resources that you deserve to face mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Immunohistochemical Staining FAQs
What does immunohistochemical staining show?
Immunohistochemical staining shows markers or antigens that your body has made as a result of having cancer. Each type of cancer creates different markers. Immunostaining helps your doctors determine if you have mesothelioma or not by checking for the markers.
What stain is used for mesothelioma?
There isn’t one single stain used for mesothelioma. Instead, doctors will use a number of immunohistochemistry staining tests to check for different markers that could mean you have cancer.
Mesothelioma immunohistochemistry panels can stain for:
- BAP1
- Calretinin
- Cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6)
- HEG1
- Wilms’ Tumor 1 (WT1)
Multiple tests could be used to help confirm an immunohistochemical diagnosis of mesothelioma and rule out other diseases like lung cancer and ovarian cancer.
How accurate is IHC staining for mesothelioma?
Each immunostaining test has its own specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. These are technical terms pathologists use to describe how accurate each test is.
Generally speaking, immunohistochemical staining for mesothelioma is very accurate, particularly when doctors test for several different markers.
However, if you’re worried about a misdiagnosis, you can always ask for a second opinion. This is where another doctor will review your diagnosis and test results to make sure they’re accurate.
Contact us now for help finding doctors who can recommend IHC mesothelioma testing or provide a second opinion.
Does insurance cover mesothelioma IHC staining?
Generally, yes. Since IHC is standard in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, your insurance should cover it.
Coverage can depend on your plan, the lab, and the number of stains ordered. If costs remain, you may be able to access mesothelioma compensation to cover costs. Ask your insurer and care team about pre‑authorization.
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