Early detection of mesothelioma now possible for the first time
Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most dangerous asbestos diseases. It can hardly be detected at an early stage, is incurable so far and usually leads to death after a short illness. Although the use and marketing of asbestos has been banned since 1990, the numbers of occupational diseases caused by asbestos remain high.
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This is due to the long latency period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of the Cancer. More than half of the deaths due to Occupational diseases are caused by asbestos, according to statistics from the statutory accident insurance. Until now, treatment has been very limited because mesothelioma is usually only discovered at a late stage.
Combination of biomarkers for successful secondary prevention.
The Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA) has now published the results of the combined blood analysis for the mesothelioma-specific biomarkers calretinin and mesothelin in the open access journal Scientific Reports. "Biomarkers are substances that can appear in the body as a consequence of certain diseases or even in advance of a disease," explains Dr. Johnen, head of the Competence Center Molecular Medicine at the IPA. "They are therefore particularly valuable because they can usually be detected in easily accessible body fluids such as blood or urine. For the first time, a method for the early detection of mesothelioma has been validated in which patients are not subjected to invasive procedures or radiation. With only 2% false positives, nearly 50% of insured patients who develop mesothelioma can be detected up to one year before clinical diagnosis in certain high-risk groups," Johnen added.
"With this marker panel, we are now able for the first time to significantly improve the early detection of asbestos-related mesothelioma," says Prof. Brüning, Institute Director of the IPA, "because up to half of the tumors can be detected with the help of the tests one year before the clinical diagnosis was previously possible. This significantly improves treatment options." In the last two years, there has also been progress in the treatment of mesothelioma through the use of so-called immunotherapy. This further underscores the importance of early detection.
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