Mesothelioma Blood Test
During the diagnostic process, many patients undergo blood tests to help determine if they have mesothelioma. These tests focus on the presence or absence of specific biomarkers in the blood. Often used in conjunction with tissue biopsies or imaging scans, blood tests are a minimally invasive method of diagnosing mesothelioma. Doctors also use blood tests to screen at-risk individuals for the cancer.
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.
To find a center near you with mesothelioma diagnostic testing available, consult our free guide.
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 I 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 blood test developed by Fujirebio Diagnostics in Malvern, Pennsylvania, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 but only for the purpose of monitoring mesothelioma that was already identified. The test calculates biomarker levels in the blood sample that bind exclusively to SMRP.
For several years, the test was available only in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and it was not available in the United States. That changed recently under the FDA's Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) exception. U.S. doctors have used the HUD exception to detect mesothelioma in its early stages. Anyone who suspects they have mesothelioma, or that they may be at a high risk to get the disease because of some exposure history, can ask their doctor to order the test.
To order a Mesomark test, a physician must be certified by the Fujirebio Lab, but the certification is hardly difficult. It requires only for the physician to read a disclaimer that is easily available on the website and acknowledge the form. One reason for the disclaimer is that the Fujirebio Lab estimates only 65 percent of those with mesothelioma will show up positive on the test.
The HUD exception is designed to help patients by diagnosing a disease that affects fewer than 4,000 individuals annually in the United States. FDA approval would require a much larger sampling. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States.
Under FDA approval, the test is typically given to measure SMRP in the blood before chemotherapy begins, then throughout the process to measure the effectiveness of the treatment. If the SMRP levels drop, it usually means the tumor is shrinking.
A patient can go to any local lab for the blood to be drawn, but only the ARUP Laboratory at the University of Utah's Pathology Department is approved to handle the sample and conduct the test. Because the Mesomark test, for detection purposes, doesn't have FDA approval, the cost of the blood test is unlikely to be covered by insurance or Medicare, but the cost is not considered to be exorbitant.
If you would like assistance in finding a location to be tested for mesothelioma, please fill out this form to get information from one of our Patient Advocates.
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Last Modified Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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