Oct
8
Early stage mesothelioma detectable in blood
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According to recent research at NYU’s medical center, a protein in the blood called osteopontin may aid in early detection of mesothelioma…
In order to evaluate osteopontin as a potential marker for mesothelioma, researchers from several institutions conducted a clinical study to compare osteopontin levels in patients diagnosed with mesothelioma and patients with benign (non-cancerous) lung conditions. This study included 76 patients who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, 69 individuals who had asbestos-related benign lung conditions and 45 healthy individuals who had not been exposed to asbestos. All individuals had their blood drawn and tested for osteopontin levels….Osteopontin levels were significantly higher in the group of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma compared to those individuals with asbestos-related lung complications
Most people don’t detect mesothelioma until later stages - when it is too late for surgery. Better early detection techniques such as this would help immensely in treating people early on in the disease.