Albumin Levels May Help Predict Mesothelioma Survival
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Albumin Levels May Help Predict Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

People with the lowest levels of the blood protein albumin are less likely to live beyond a year with malignant pleural mesothelioma. That is the finding of a team of Chinese researchers who say this abundant protein may offer one of the simplest ways to predict mesothelioma prognosis. Serum albumin is a globular protein whose primary function is to carry steroids, fatty acids and thyroid hormones in the blood. It makes up about 60% of the total mass of protein in blood plasma.  Researchers in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Shandong University Hospital in China have found that serum albumin levels prior to treatment appear to have a direct bearing on the odds of surviving mesothelioma. The study focused…

Blood Protein Predicts Treatment Response in Mesothelioma
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Blood Protein Predicts Treatment Response in Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A blood protein that is overexpressed in mesothelioma tumor cells may be one of the best ways to predict how well a patient will respond to treatment. is a serious malignancy of the mesothelium, or tissue that surrounds and encases the lungs, abdomen or heart.  It is almost always caused by exposure to the mineral asbestos.  A protein called mesothelin, which is present in all mesothelial cells, is produced in greater amounts by cancerous mesothelial cells.  Scientists have long believed that this protein may be an important way to gain information about a patient’s mesothelioma cancer. A study recently published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research appears to confirm that idea.  A group of Australian researchers enrolled 97 mesothelioma patients…