Simple Blood Test Monitors Patients with Mesothelioma

A simple blood test enables doctors to monitor patients diagnosed with biphasic or epithelioid mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure.

The mesomark assay test kit was developed to measure levels of a biomarker, mesothelin, in serum. Biomarkers are substances found in higher-than-normal concentrations in the blood, urine, or body tissues of patients with certain types of cancers. The test may be used to monitor patients confirmed as having mesothelioma, for recurrence in patients following surgery, or for measuring response to therapies.

Mesothelioma affects the sac lining the chest, the abdominal cavity, or the area around the heart. Many people with this cancer have been employed in environments where they inhaled asbestos, such as in the shipbuilding and construction industries. Most insulation and construction materials manufactured before the mid-1970s contained asbestos, including insulation on pipes and boilers; fireproofing spray; roof, floor, and ceiling tiles; and brakes and clutches. Others have been exposed to asbestos in households or the general environment. Currently, more than 100 million people worldwide have been exposed to asbestos through their professions over the years--often unknowingly--including shipyard workers, insulators, boilermakers, plumbers, and maintenance workers.

Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. (Malvern, PA, USA) received approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under the Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) program for the mesomark assay. "Development of a reliable biomarker is a major advance in the care of mesothelioma,” said Chris Hahn, executive director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation). "Fujirebio Diagnostics and the mesomark test are now making it possible--with a simple blood test--to monitor response to treatment and to detect recurrence following treatment. This provides an important head start to patients racing against this aggressive cancer.” The Meso Foundation is the national research funding, patient support, and advocacy organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-threatening disease.




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