A recent test has been conducted to find a more accurate way to diagnose mesothelioma.Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, which have been used in construction, mining and other industries. It is extremely difficult to diagnose and, often, is undiagnosed until it is too late for effective treatment.
Mesothelioma is usually found by looking for cancerous cells in the fluid around the lungs. This method is called cytology. But cytology is not very sensitive and doctors have a hard time telling mesothelioma apart from other cancers. Now, researchers in Britain are trying out a new test. The new test measures the amount of the protein mesothelin in the fluid surrounding the lungs.
To date, the new method has been tested on 167 patients. Of those, 24 patients had mesothelioma, 67 had metastatic cancer, and 75 had benign effusions. The mesothelin levels were measured in each patient. The patients with mesothelioma had an average level of 40.3 nM compared to 6.1 nM for patients with metastatic cancer and 3.7 nM for patients with benign conditions.
The researchers say that this new test should be given along with cytology to get the best results. The new test uses the same fluid samples that are used in cytology. The test could easily be added to current testing programs and would greatly benefit the patients since they would be diagnosed earlier and more accurately.
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