Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have developed a novel blood test to more accurately identify mesothelioma. This may lead to early diagnosis. Additionally, it could result in novel targeted therapy alternatives. Complex DNA sequences found in mesothelioma cells are detected by the test.
Compared to conventional mesothelioma blood testing, this new method is more accurate. Better monitoring of a patient’s treatment progress could result from this as well. Experts anticipate that this new blood test may lead to more individualized therapy for mesothelioma.
At The Mesothelioma Center, Snehal Smart is our on-staff physician and a board-certified Patient Advocate. She tells us about the potential implications of this new test for patients.
“This advancement brings hope to potentially help many patients who know they have been exposed to asbestos,” Snehal says. “They may be able to get checked earlier and faster.”
“This is especially helpful in cases when the patient is elderly and unable to get a biopsy,” she explains. “A simple blood test would be a fast way for a patient to know whether their mesothelioma is responding to their treatment plan.”
Aaron Mansfield, M.D., a medical oncologist, led the study at the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine and Cancer Center. He said in a news release, “We’re pushing the frontiers of what’s possible in blood-based monitoring. Improving detection rates could offer insights into monitoring patients’ responses to therapy and detecting recurrence after surgery.”
About the New Mesothelioma Test
This new blood test looks for specific DNA patterns. They’re called “chromosomal rearrangements.” Most blood tests look for single-point DNA mutations.
Typical mesothelioma cells have “swapped” or “shuffled” sections of DNA. Mesothelioma may also have fewer single-point mutations than other types of cancer.
Whole genome sequencing was employed by the researchers. This method allows one to read all of a living thing’s DNA and comprehend its genetic instructions. Genetic instructions included in DNA dictate an organism’s growth, development, and function.
Whole genome sequencing searches for DNA alterations (mutations) that could cause unchecked cell growth. Scientists utilize sequencing to detect these alterations, detect cancer, and determine how to treat it because they function like malfunctioning instructions.
This novel blood test can assist in identifying important chromosomal alterations in cancer cells’ DNA. Then, in a lab, the scientists produced “primers,” which are little fragments of DNA. The primers align and bind to chromosomal alterations. The blood test then looks for those alterations.
This discovery could result in mesothelioma identification that is quicker and more precise. In order to have more alternatives and begin therapy sooner, early detection is essential. Better patient outcomes may result from this.
