Mesothelioma is a particularly serious form of cancer. While often incorrectly called a lung cancer, Mesothelioma is actually a cancer of the tissues that line the chest cavity or abdomen. The cancer has a dismal outcome rate, with most people succumbing within a few years of the diagnosis. A new protein-based test may help mesothelioma patients choose better treatment programs to help prolong their life.

What Causes Mesothelioma?

The overwhelming majority of mesothelioma cases can be traced back to asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a naturally-occurring glass-like fiber. Humans have sporadically used asbestos for various purposes since prehistory, but the material’s useful properties led to widespread use during the industrial revolution. Asbestos is fireproof and a superb insulator.

Shortly after the material entered widespread use, evidence of asbestos health risks quickly became apparent. First, illnesses like asbestosis were observed among asbestos workers and miners. Asbestosis is the formation of scars in the lung from asbestos. However, evidence continued to mount that asbestos could cause a wider variety of serious illnesses, including cancers. The connection between cancer and asbestos has been known for almost a century.

Mesothelioma almost never happens in individuals without asbestos exposure. However, it was initially difficult to make the connection, since it can take decades for mesothelioma to manifest. Even though it typically takes less than two years for patients to die from this type of cancer, it rarely shows up less than 15 years after asbestos exposure.

Mesothiloma Outcomes

Outcomes for Mesothiloma patients have improved in recent years. For a certain subgroup of patients, an aggressive combination of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery can extend their life by as many as 15 years. However, this grueling, invasive three-front attack on the cancer is extremely taxing, and since many patients may die from the disease anyway, some patients choose to simply cherish the time they have left. However, a new test may help guide patients and their families in deciding how to proceed from a diagnosis.

A New Test to Guide Mesothelioma Treatment

A joint Austrian-Hungarian-Croatian team of researchers in Europe has recently identified a new blood test that can help guide cancer treatment in mesothelioma patients.

The new test looks for a protein called fibrinogen in blood plasma. According to preliminary research, patients with high levels of the protein were likely to die more quickly from the cancer, while patients with a lower level of the protein typically survived longer. The measurements were taken at the time of diagnosis. This test could help people with mesothelioma decide on their mesothelioma treatment strategies.

Asbestos Litigation

Lawsuits have been filed by mesothelioma patients – and their surviving relatives – against employers who knowingly used asbestos products. These mesothelioma lawsuits allege that asbestos mining, manufacturing and construction companies were aware of the risks associated with the material. This claim is often bolstered by the fact that asbestos studies dating back more than a century cite health risks associated with the material.

Asbestos exposure lawsuits further allege that in spite of these risks, manufacturers continued to make, market, and employ asbestos-bearing materials. Some asbestos-related litigation has resulted in record-breaking settlements.