New Mesothelioma Blood Test Could Lead to Earlier Diagnosis
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New Mesothelioma Blood Test Could Lead to Earlier Diagnosis

ByHolly Zink

A new mesothelioma blood test promises an earlier diagnosis for patients. An article in BBA-Molecular Basis of Disease explains the new breakthrough. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the asbestos-caused cancer. It is often diagnosed only in the advanced stage. This is because its early symptoms are also associated with other respiratory diseases. Finding a way to identify mesothelioma from other respiratory diseases is important. It helps doctors apply effective treatment strategies. And it increases the mesothelioma patient survival rate. Distinguishing Mesothelioma from Lung Cancer There is a well-known association between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma. The most common type of asbestos-related cancer is malignant pleural mesothelioma. It accounts for approximately 80% of all mesothelioma cases. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is usually diagnosed…

New Blood Test May Improve Diagnostic Accuracy for Mesothelioma
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New Blood Test May Improve Diagnostic Accuracy for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The developers of a new blood test for mesothelioma say it is much more accurate than previous tests and could improve diagnosis and disease monitoring. The new test is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system designed to detect the protein N-ERC/mesothelin. N-ERC/mesothelin is overexpressed in mesothelioma and some other types of cancer. ELISA tests use antibodies that change color when they come in contact with a particular substance such as N-ERC/mesothelin. According to the Japanese researchers who developed and tested the new assay, the previous ELISA system developed in 2008 to detect N-ERC/mesothelin has been “unsatisfactory” and test results were difficult to reproduce. In contrast, the new 7-20 ELISA system produced more accurate positive mesothelioma diagnoses and fewer false negatives….

New Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Earlier
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New Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Earlier

ByAlex Strauss

In the ongoing worldwide quest for an easier and more accurate way to diagnose malignant mesothelioma, one of the nation’s top mesothelioma research teams claims to have found a ‘promising’ new method. The blood test, developed by SomaLogic, Inc. and tested at New York’s Lagone Medical Center, detects the presence and quantity of 19 different proteins (biomarkers) that can be secreted by tumor cells in the early stages of mesothelioma. In National Cancer Institute-funded studies on the new test, researchers used 90 blood samples from patients who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and 80 samples from people who had been exposed to asbestos but did not have a mesothelioma diagnosis.  The SomaLogic test accurately detected 15 out of 19 cases…