Protein Test Developed By NYU Shows Promise For Early Detection of Mesothelioma
By: Chris Placitella @ Apr 26, 2011
On April 4, 2011 researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center presented a study at the American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting held in Orlando, Florida, which detailed their findings on a protein test that may be used to detect early-stage, asbestos-related pulmonary disease. According to researchers, the test can accurately identify proteins secreted from cancerous tumors caused by asbestos exposure.
Dr Harvey Pass, director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology at NYU Langone Medical Center and the NYU Cancer Institute, spoke about a novel biomarker test that is believed to be the most accurate yet in detecting proteins secreted from tumors caused by exposure to asbestos. In a blinded test the proteomic assay could detect 15 of 19 cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma that were in stage 1 or stage 2, making the test about 80 percent sensitive, a measure of how accurately a test can identify disease. In addition, the specificity of the test was 100 percent.
“The goal of a new diagnostic test is to find the cancer early enough to effectively treat it”, according to Harvey I. Pass, MD.
To read the full article visit: https://communications.med.nyu.edu/news/2011/new-test-detects-early-stage-asbestos-related-pulmonary-cancer
