Elevated blood levels of osteopontin linked to pleural mesothelioma
Elevated blood levels of osteopontin linked to pleural mesothelioma: "Elevated blood levels of osteopontin linked to pleural mesothelioma
Researchers at New York University ( NYU ) School of Medicine and Wayne State University have found a molecule that reveals the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, a chest cancer caused by asbestos.
The finding opens the way to a blood test for the disease.
The study is published in the The New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM ).
An estimated 7.5 million workers in the United States have been exposed to asbestos and, according to government statistics, it remains a hazard to some 1.3 million workers in construction and building maintenance.
There has been no way to reliably screen for this type of cancer, particularly in its early stages when treatment may be more successful.
The blood test could help to monitor people at risk of developing cancer due to asbestos exposure, says Harvey Pass, at NYU School of Medicine, and the lead author of the study.
' The levels of a protein called osteopontin rise dramatically in the early stage of this disease,' says Pass. So, he says, ' a rise in the level of this biomarker in workers with past asbestos exposure may indicate to physicians that these people need to be followed even more closely for the development of cancer.'
Pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that invades the lining of the chest cavity and the lining of the lungs, usually develops in people who have been exposed to asbestos, such as foundry workers, pipe fitters, shipbuilders, miners, electricians, factory workers, firefighters, as well as construction workers who have used asbestos-containing materials. It often takes decades to develop.
In the study, Pass and colleagues found that blood "
Researchers at New York University ( NYU ) School of Medicine and Wayne State University have found a molecule that reveals the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, a chest cancer caused by asbestos.
The finding opens the way to a blood test for the disease.
The study is published in the The New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM ).
An estimated 7.5 million workers in the United States have been exposed to asbestos and, according to government statistics, it remains a hazard to some 1.3 million workers in construction and building maintenance.
There has been no way to reliably screen for this type of cancer, particularly in its early stages when treatment may be more successful.
The blood test could help to monitor people at risk of developing cancer due to asbestos exposure, says Harvey Pass, at NYU School of Medicine, and the lead author of the study.
' The levels of a protein called osteopontin rise dramatically in the early stage of this disease,' says Pass. So, he says, ' a rise in the level of this biomarker in workers with past asbestos exposure may indicate to physicians that these people need to be followed even more closely for the development of cancer.'
Pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that invades the lining of the chest cavity and the lining of the lungs, usually develops in people who have been exposed to asbestos, such as foundry workers, pipe fitters, shipbuilders, miners, electricians, factory workers, firefighters, as well as construction workers who have used asbestos-containing materials. It often takes decades to develop.
In the study, Pass and colleagues found that blood "
posted by Chris Placitella | 9:59 AM
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