Flinders researchers have found proteins in lung fluid that could hold the key to diagnosing pleural mesothelioma months or even years before a tumour is visible on imaging scans.
The Flinders University scientists, some among the world’s leaders in mesothelioma research, examined proteins that help give rise to malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and whether they could be used as biomarkers to identify the cancer earlier.
The new study published in the Journal of Proteomics notes that the incidence of mesothelioma is still increasing in many Western countries including Australia even though several of them have instituted asbestos bans.
This is largely because of mesothelioma’s long latency period which can sometimes be decades after initial asbestos exposure.
One of the reasons that asbestos cancer is so deadly is that it is usually not identified until it is in an advanced stage, making it less likely to respond to treatment. Many newly-diagnosed mesothelioma patients are told they have only months to live.
Like me 2greys. It was at this time two years ago I was given 5-6 months to live - but I'm still here, just!! 😀😀
I haven't allowed the disease to define me, but the time limit given, has, which does both anger and sadden me.
These findings you have found are welcome of course but if one has lived an otherwise healthy life how would you find this out unless you were aware that had you come into contact with asbestos and could ask to be tested, which unfortunately I hadn't a clue when I had been subjected to this so was none the wiser. It is on the increase worldwide because they found the danger of this stuff being used a few years ago and it is now our generation found to be suffering with this. Not all who worked with this substance succumbed to this, it's luck or bad luck. There was recently a case of a lady contracting this illness through washing her husband's work clothes, she got it and yet he didn't and he was working with the stuff every day!
They would have to introduce these protein tests as a matter of course, like breast screening, cervical smears etc to be able to find this disease in any number at its earliest stages and given everything else the NHS and other health systems throughout the world have to cope with I would think that would be highly unlikely. However thanks for putting this up as it does give some hope that some people in the future could have a bit of a'heads up' on this disease and stand a better chance of being treated.
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Mesothelioma 
