Protein Helps Doctors Diagnose Mesothelioma More Accurately

Researchers identified another tool for diagnosing pleural mesothelioma, hoping it can accelerate the diagnostic process and help eliminate recurring mistakes. Dr. Michele Carbone of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and his team of mesothelioma specialists discovered that tumor-suppressing protein BAP1 can help oncologists accurately differentiate mesothelioma from lung cancer. People lacking the BAP1 protein are more likely to develop malignant mesothelioma. In the team’s study, all 45 non-small cell lung cancer samples tested positive for normal BAP1 expression. Of the 35 pleural mesothelioma samples tested, more than half didn’t show BAP1. “Now we have an additional tool that we can use to increase the accuracy of a diagnosis,” Carbone told Asbestos.com. “The fact is today there is a high rate of misdiagnosis. And there are many reasons for that. We need to use this tool to help get it right.” His research team included specialists from New York University’s Langone Medical Center and the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. Multidisciplinary medical journal Oncotarget published their study July 18. Much of Carbone’s work with mesothelioma research is detailed at Oak Park Pathology. Rise in Misdiagnoses “We still don’t know for sure how many cases are being misdiagnosed in the United States, but 10 percent is a safe bet,” Carbone said. “That means there are lots of people not receiving the proper treatment. It’s important to...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: bap1 lung cancer diagnosis malignant mesothelioma diagnosis mesothelioma misdiagnosis michele carbone university of hawaii cancer center Source Type: news