Blood-Based Mesothelioma Biomarkers
Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP) are one of the most frequently investigated blood-based biomarkers for mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma cells release these substances into the bloodstream. Although they are still the subject of intensive testing, these peptides are thought to be the most promising diagnostic biomarker for mesothelioma.
Osteopontin has also been found to be a valuable blood-based biomarker for distinguishing mesothelioma from non-malignant diseases. This glycoprotein is overexpressed by many mesothelioma patients, and high levels often indicate tumor invasion and metastasis in advanced stages of the disease.
Other blood serum-based biomarkers have been explored for the diagnosis of mesothelioma, but these proteins, notably CA125 and CYFRA 21, were moderately sensitive at best. Although elevated biomarker levels may not always indicate the presence of cancer, positive blood tests results can certainly raise flags that lead to further testing.
Blood Tests and Early Diagnosis
Although mesothelioma has historically been a hard-to-detect disease, newly emerging blood tests have provided doctors with a means of accelerating diagnosis. Symptoms usually remain dormant for 20 to 50 years; yet, innovative blood tests can screen high-risk individuals for the illness and potentially discover it before symptoms emerge in its later stages.
SMRP can be elevated years before mesothelioma is diagnosed. Osteopontin, another blood-based biomarker, was also found to be higher in mesothelioma patients, especially those with a very early stage of the disease. The results of an osteopontin-based screening project conducted by renowned mesothelioma specialist Harvey Pass determined that 9.5 ng of osteopontin per milliliter of blood could guarantee a diagnosis of Stage 1 mesothelioma with 100 percent sensitivity.
Blood tests using biomarkers that predate symptoms may revolutionize the way mesothelioma is diagnosed. By making a diagnosis as early as possible, blood test results may offer a wider range of treatment options to mesothelioma patients' range of treatment options and improve the average prognosis for the disease.
Mesomark Test for Mesothelioma
Mesomark, a mesothelioma blood test developed by Fujirebio Diagnostics, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007. The Mesomark assay is the world's first blood test designed to monitor mesothelioma. Laboratory tests calculate the levels of the biomarker in a blood sample by measuring antibodies that bind exclusively to SMRP.
A study conducted by researchers at New York University established the test's validity as a screening tool for mesothelioma patients. The study confirmed that high levels of SMRP are typically associated with a positive mesothelioma diagnosis; conversely, low SMRP levels often indicate the absence of mesothelioma.
While the assay offers a more advanced option for diagnosing mesothelioma, it can also be used to measure a patient's response to therapy. If Mesomark reveals that SMRP levels are increasing, malignant tumors may still be thriving. Decreasing or constant SMRP levels, however, are typically indicative of shrinking or steady tumors.
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