Blood Test Could Make Monitoring Mesothelioma Easier

A simple blood test may have the potential to replace the more costly and burdensome CT scan for monitoring post-treatment recurrence and progression of pleural mesothelioma. Researchers at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom recently found that the changing levels of the protein mesothelin in blood often mirrored CT scan results in patients who already had completed treatment. BMC Cancer published results of their study — a first of its kind — which included the long-term monitoring of 41 patients with mesothelioma who had either completed chemotherapy or other supportive care. “With this study alone, we can’t confidently say that a mesothelin test can replace the CT scan, but there may be a potential role for it within this group of patients,” Dr. Duneesha de Fonseka, lead researcher of the study, told Asbestos.com. “We would need a larger, more extensive study, but this is a good start.” Monitoring Becomes More Important Researchers believe the recent emergence of potential second-line and non-chemotherapy treatment options have made more accessible disease monitoring a key to follow-up care for this cohort of patients. Mesothelioma, the rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, has no definitive cure and often a poor prognosis. Measuring mesothelin levels in the blood has been used in the past to assist with diagnosis and with gauging treatment effectiveness. The U.K. study is the first to focus on mesothelin levels for long-term mo...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news