HEALTH
04:45
Mesothelioma, Research and clinical trials
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer that most commonly starts in the layers of tissue that cover each lung (the pleura). More rarely it starts in the layer of tissue in the abdomen that surrounds the digestive system organs (the peritoneum).
Symptoms
Find out about the symptoms of mesothelioma and when to see your doctor.
Types
The type of mesothelioma means the type of cell the cancer started in. Knowing this helps your doctor to decide which treatment you need.
Stages
Read about the stages of mesothelioma and your treatment options.
Risks and causes
Find out what causes mesothelioma and who is more likely to get it.
Survival
Find out about survival for mesothelioma.
Getting diagnosed
Find out what to expect when you see a GP, when you might see a specialist, and which tests you might have.
Treatment
The treatment you might have depends on the stage and type of your mesothelioma. See which treatments are used and how you have them
Living with mesothelioma
A lot of practical and emotional support is available to you. Get advice on living with mesothelioma and find further resources and support.
Research and clinical trials
Read about the latest research into mesothelioma and find out about taking part in clinical trials.
Researchers in Germany have developed a novel blood test for mesothelioma cancer that could lead to earlier detection of the disease and a better prognosis for patients.
The test involves calretinin, a blood-based protein that is overexpressed when mesothelioma tumors cells are present.
The advancement stems from a study using a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting the biomarker more effectively.
In the past, mesothelioma has been difficult to diagnose. It’s mostly accomplished with a combination of invasive tissue biopsies and detailed imaging tests after symptoms become obvious.
A reliable blood test would make the process much easier, allowing those at high risk for the disease to be monitored regularly, likely leading to disease discovery in its infancy when it is more manageable.
“It might be quite the advantage when it comes to treatment,” biochemist Dr. Georg Johnen, the lead researcher in the German study, told Asbestos.com. “This might allow you to see elevated marker levels well before you have symptoms.”
Making Long-Term Survival Possible
Occupational exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer with a long latency period (20-50 years). The majority of cases are not diagnosed until after the disease has spread, limiting treatment options.
Getting an accurate diagnosis today often takes many months and a variety of tests. Long-term survival is rare. Less than 25 percent of patients are eligible for a curative approach to aggressive surgery. Most patients receive only palliative chemotherapy.
The typical prognosis is just 6-18 months.
The Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance at the Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum conducted the study in cooperation with the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at the University of Western Australia in Perth.
A presentation of the research was made earlier this year at the annual Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation meeting in Maryland. BMC Cancer medical journal published the results in May, confirming a previous study by the same team of researchers.
