A team of scientists and physicians at Oxford University in the UK have manufactured a new test for patients believed to have mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer linked to previous asbestos exposure.
The test measures levels of a cancer-related protein in the fluid around the lungs, and Dr. Paul Beckett, a leading physician and member of the British Thoracic Society, says that the test is far less invasive than current diagnostic methods.
The new test is “a simple test which can exclude the diagnosis without resort to more invasive methods,” stated Beckett. A less invasive and less painful method of testing for mesothelioma would be “welcomed” by patients.
Researchers say that pleural fluid cytology – which measures cancerous cells within the mesothelium, or lining of the lungs – is “not very sensitive,” and may not provide an accurate diagnosis. The new test measures levels of the protein mesothelin, which is found in higher-than-normal amounts in patients who have mesothelioma cancer.
In individuals with mesothelioma, mesothelin levels were six times higher than those suffering from what researchers refer to as “secondary lung cancers,” according to findings. Approximately 200 patients submitted a pleural fluid sample.
The levels of mesothelin in mesothelioma sufferers were also ten times higher than patients who had a benign condition. Dr. Helen Davies, who participated in the research, is hopeful that the findings will lead to more accurate rates of diagnosis.
“This study suggests a way for clinicians to more readily identify cases of mesothelioma,” Davies said. “An earlier diagnosis allows speedier interventions” and “initiation of other treatments such as chemotherapy and radition.”
Due to the fact that asbestos cancer is so aggressive, a quicker mesothelioma diagnosis would ultimately give doctors more time to administer palliative mesothelioma treatment or perform surgery, thus potentially increasing the patient’s quality of life.
Most mesothelioma patients will lose their battle with the disease in less than two years following diagnosis, but a faster diagnostic test may also give patients more time to spend with their families.
The new test “would be expected to lead to more rapid diagnosis and therefore treatment and perhaps improve outlook for this disease,” said Beckett.
Unrelated to a patient’s medical treatment is the issue of compensation for asbestos-related diseases. A more accurate means of diagnosing an asbestos disease could change the speed at which patient’s receive compensation.
Overall, believes Professor Stephen Spiro, who works with the British Lung Foundation, this new test is “an important step forward.”
For more information about mesothelioma causes, diagnosis and treatment, please visit Mesothelioma.com.
