NEW TREATMENTS FOR MESOTHELIOMA CANCER

Biomarker Calretinin May Help Early Detection of Mesothelioma

Recently mesothelioma researchers have analyzed a biomarker called calretinin as a diagnostic tool in human blood or serum with what appear to be promising results. Early detection of mesothelioma - which historically has been hard to diagnose because of its ill-defined symptoms and long lead time for the cancer to develop - would be an important step in fighting mesothelioma.

Calretinin is already a well-established (immunohistochemical) marker in diagnosing malignant mesothelioma. But its usefulness as a diagnostic tool in human blood has been studied very little. The aim of the study was to develop an assay for calretinin in blood and to test its usefulness as a minimally invasive diagnostic marker for mesothelioma.

Researchers studied samples of 97 healthy volunteers, 35 asbestos-exposed workers, and 42 malignant mesothelioma patients. Results showed median calretinin values in healthy volunteers, asbestos workers, and mesothelioma patients were 0.20, 0.33, and 0.84 ng/ml, respectively. Median means half the subjects had levels higher than the specified amount and half had lower levels. Measured units were in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml).

The median values for patients with epithelioid and biphasic mesothelioma were similar. Age, gender, smoking status, or type of medium (plasma/serum) on calretinin values did not influence the results.

Calretinin in human serum and plasma might be a useful marker alone or combined with other markers such as mesothelin. Because the results are based on a small number of test subjects and further testing needs to be done, no commercial test is currently available.

The medical journal article on the study was published in BMC Cancer on 28 May, 2010. The study was carried out at the Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine, in Bochum, Germany.

New Approaches To Treating Malignant Mesothelioma

Successfully treating a serious disease such as malignant mesothelioma depends on how early a diagnosis can be made. One reason why malignant mesothelioma is such a dangerous disease is that its symptoms often do not present themselves until the cancer is advanced. Traditional methods of treating malignant mesothelioma revolve around surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.

Unfortunately, the traditional methods have shown limited success for slowing or stopping the aggressive nature of mesothelioma. No treatment, to date, has been able to increase the life expectancy of patients more than a few months. New research, including research funded by the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America, is focusing on the development of new treatment modalities.

New approaches to treating malignant mesothelioma include:

  • New chemotherapy agents
  • Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
  • Immunotherapy
  • Gene therapy

Summing Up New Treatments

It is incredibly important to continue working towards newer and more effective ways to treat malignant mesothelioma in addition to all cancers. The regulation of asbestos in the United States has helped to limit future cases of mesothelioma in America; however, a number of countries around the world continue to mine asbestos, putting future generations at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma. By continuing to work towards newer and more effective treatments, science can potentially lengthen the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

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