Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos with no known cure that is often diagnosed in advanced stages, resulting in poor prognosis. Due to a long latency period of ten to forty years from time of initial exposure to development of symptoms as well as non-specific symptoms that are often missed or misdiagnosed, mesothelioma is often not discovered by physicians until it has reached Stage IV.
Almost all advanced stage cancers have poor survival rates. Therefore ways to diagnose mesothelioma at earlier stages is vital, not just for prolonging survival but also for improving efficacy of treatment.
Researchers from Hyogo Prefectural Tsukaguchi Hospital and Hyogo College of Medicine conducted a study that shows that levels of VEGF, which stands for vascular endothelial growth factor, could be used not only to detect and diagnose malignant pleural mesothelioma at earlier stages but also to give more accurate prognosis upon diagnosis.
The results from the study showed that higher levels of VEGF indicate the presence of mesothelioma, and therefore could be one way to use this biomarker as a way to catch the cancer early on. The results also show that the higher the levels of VEGF, the shorter the survival time and less success with therapeutic interventions.
For now, standard therapies for cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, do not help mesothelioma patients, especially if the disease has progressed to advanced stages. More often than not, surgery is not an option, either due to the location of the cancer or because the patient is not in good enough health to withstand an operation.
The longest survival times for anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma have been five years, and these cases are only when the cancer has been discovered at earlier stages and treatments started immediately. Therefore, early diagnosis is key to longer periods with higher quality of life and improved survival rates.
If you have known or suspected prior exposure to asbestos or have been diagnosed with any form of mesothelioma (pleural, pericardial, or peritoneal), ask your treating physician or oncologist about testing for your VEGF levels. It could make the difference of living many more years with a much higher quality of life. For more information about the study, read Biomarker Discovered to Predict Mesothelioma & Provide Early Intervention.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 at 9:51 am and is filed under Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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