Mesothelioma Detection May Come Earlier with Liquid Biopsy

Cellular Analytics, a biotechnology company in Ontario, Canada, has unveiled a novel liquid biopsy test for mesothelioma that could lead to more effective management of this rare cancer. The test has the potential to produce a much-earlier diagnosis of disease and the ability to personalize treatment and better predict a patient’s response to specific therapies. “We could change completely how this disease is viewed,” Dr. Brent Zanke, a specialist in diagnostic oncology and chief executive officer of Cellular Analytics, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “It’s a proactive way to get ahead of disease.” Mesothelioma, which is usually caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers, has no definitive cure and few obvious symptoms in its earliest stages. Treatment Options Would be Greater Diagnosis today requires several steps, including a CT scan and an invasive biopsy. Mesothelioma typically is not diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage when treatment options are limited and survival times are short. This latest, state-of-the-art technology centers on circulating tumor cell (CTC) capture and detection, a science which advanced considerably in 2019. Researchers today are refining it to purify and extract those cells for different cancer diagnostics. This specific platform — named CytoFind — was uncovered in the laboratory of University of Toronto researcher Dr. Shana Kelley, who also serves as the chief scientific offer of Cellular Analytics, fou...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news