Biopsies are not the same as cytology tests, though they’re similar. A biopsy is typically used by histologists, who test larger samples of fluid or tissue. Healthy cells may be seen alongside cancerous ones on biopsies.
Mesothelioma cytology tests allow doctors to extract a much smaller sample and will only look at individual cells or very small groups of them to make a diagnosis.
Your doctors can determine if a mesothelioma biopsy or cytology test will be more effective to help diagnose you.