Breakthrough Test for Mesothelioma

Researchers on the other side of the world have come up with a simple test to figure out whether someone has mesothelioma.

Australian researches have “developed a world-first blood test which could help in the early detection of mesothelioma, a deadly asbestos-related cancer of the lung lining.”

“The non-invasive blood test developed by University of Western Australia Professor Bruce Robinson and a team of researchers is a breakthrough in the early detection of mesothelioma.”

“Under existing arrangements, diagnosis is a long process which includes blood tests, chest x-rays, CT scans, drainage and laboratory analysis of the pleural fluid to help differentiate mesothelioma from other similar conditions.”

“The new blood test, named MESOMARK, was originally developed for cervical cancer at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute in the US, but Professor Robinson has adapted it for testing mesothelioma.”

“Dr Nick Pavlakis, a leading mesothelioma researcher in Sydney, said “The test is a breakthrough because it’s a simple blood test, it could therefore be applied to patients who are at risk, those who have a history of exposure or symptoms of the disease.”"

The article also mentioned that Australia has the “highest reported incidence in the world” of mesothelioma, at 700 people diagnosed every year, and that diagnoses in the country were expected to peak “between 2010 and 2020.”