Friday, October 14, 2005

Blood Test To Detect Pleural Mesothelioma

Filed under: Diagnostics , Oncology

Mesothelioma strikes 2,500 to 3,000 people in the United States each year. Most are among the 7.5 million U.S. workers who have been exposed to asbestos used for fireproofing, insulation and soundproofing.

The finding, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, could lead to a test for the disease, which is usually detected at a stage when treatments are ineffective and patients only live for another eight to 18 months.

Researchers investigated the presence of osteopontin in pleural mesothelioma and determined serum osteopontin levels in three populations: subjects without cancer who were exposed to asbestos, subjects without cancer who were not exposed to asbestos, and patients with pleural mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos.

They concluded that serum osteopontin levels can be used to distinguish persons with exposure to asbestos who do not have cancer from those with exposure to asbestos who have pleural mesothelioma.

Of course the test is unlikely to be available for widespread use until it is determined if early detection of the pleural mesothelioma, actually leads to improved survival. Such tests are planned for the near future.

Read the abstract of this study...

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