Originally published October 14 2005
New study shows blood tests may detect mesothelioma
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Harvey Pass, chief of thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology in the cardiothoracic surgery department at New York University's medical school, believes that blood tests could be adopted to screen for pleural mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer.
Oct. 12, 2005 -- A blood test could help screen for pleural mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, a new study shows.
Blood osteopontin levels "rise dramatically" in the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, says researcher Harvey Pass, MD, in a news release.
"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," he says.
Pass is the chief of the division of thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology in the cardiothoracic surgery department at New York University's medical school.
Asbestos is not always an immediate hazard, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
"In fact, if asbestos can be maintained in good condition, it is recommended that it be left alone and periodic surveillance performed to monitor its condition," states the EPA's web site.
"It is only when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or the materials become damaged that it becomes a hazard.
Rare Disease Pleural mesothelioma is a rare disease of the lining of the lung and chest cavity that is usually cancerous.
Pleural mesothelioma has been hard to detect in its early, more treatable stages.
As a result, many patients die within months of diagnosis, write Pass and colleagues.
Over the years, millions of workers have been exposed to asbestos, mainly in industrial, construction, and maintenance jobs, note the researchers.
Not all people with asbestos exposure get cancer; however, exposure to asbestos and other substances such as coal, fuels, and arsenic can increase your risk of lung cancer.
"Researchers still have not determined a 'safe level' of exposure, but we know the greater and longer the exposure, the greater the risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease," says the EPA.
New Blood Test Pass and colleagues did osteopontin blood tests on 190 people, 76 of whom had pleural mesothelioma.
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