Mesothelioma can now be detected before

U.S. researchers found specific changes in the blood of patients with two types of fatal cancers are pancreatic cancer and mesothelioma cancer. This allows the physician to diagnose cancer at earlier stages.

Using scanning technology developed by Somalogic Inc., company researchers say they can detect early signs of pancreatic cancer and a type of lung cancer called mesothelioma in people who arediagnosis but not receiving treatment for the disease. "At this time the cancer is detected at an advanced stage when treatment options have been minimal," said Rachel Ostroff, director of clinical research in Somalogic Inc., who presented the results of a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Recent research in Denver.

Pancreatic cancer usually strikes without symptoms, and only recently recognized at an advanced stage. El Nacional Cancer Institute, said pancreatic cancer is rarely curable. If the tumor is still in the pancreas (located), cure rates will be higher. Still, it is usually the best, in any case, just a little less than 20 percent.

For patients with cancer is still less than 2 cm with no spread to lymph nodes, cancer surgery can save patients up to five years at least. This possibility could reach 18 to 24 percent.

L '> Pancreas is an organ shaped sponge on the tube 6 cm long, located behind the stomach. The pancreas produces enzymes and hormones, including insulin. Pancreatic enzymes help digest food in the small intestine, while insulin to control blood sugar in the blood. Both enzymes and hormones necessary to maintain the body to function properly.

Men are twice as likely to attack the disease. Pancreatic cancer is more common in smokersthan nonsmokers. People suffering from chronic pancreatitis and those who are prone to long-term diabetes (especially women) have a higher risk.

Meanwhile, mesothelioma is a form of cancer usually caused by malignant cells that develop in the mesothelium, a protective layer that covers most of the organs. The most common is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but can also occur in the pericardium, or lining vaginalis.

Most people with mesothelioma caused by frequent exposure to asbestos particles. washing clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also be at risk of developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, and no association between mesothelioma and smoking.

Mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or pain in the chest wall, and also by excess weight. "This aggressiveCancer detection> in early stages to identify patients for early treatment that can improve their quality of life and ability to recover, "he said.

Pancreatic cancer is relatively rare, but it is the main cause cancer-related deaths session in the United States (U.S.). Although mesothelioma caused by asbestos, killed an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people a year worldwide.

In October, NEC Corp. of Japan to invest U.S. $ 5,000,000 as part ofSomalogic strategic partnership, based in Colorado to develop technology to detect the disease by testing the protein in a drop of blood. aptamers test depends Somalogic - a set of genetic material that binds to proteins. Somalogic have improved technology that makes the molecule more likely to bind to proteins in particular.

For the study, researchers tested the blood sample of companies in the patients with two types of cancer, and in addition tocontrol group who have a condition with symptoms similar to pancreatitis and cancer, such as pulmonary fibrosis.

The team used computer models to find significant differences in biology, or biological markers that distinguish blood samples of patients with cancer with those without cancer.

For both types of cancer, the team found a biological marker that has high accuracy in the detection of any cancer, Ostroff said. They are also very specificthe sense that they are able to adequately remove people who do not have cancer. biomarkers that must now be confirmed by other studies to ensure that the results are accurate and can be played in the tests. "It 's easy to find biomarkers," Ostroff said at the meeting. "It 's hard to do validation on them."

Ostroff said his team will observe a number of factors that could cause false positive results, such as the length of a sample is placed on the shelfbefore the test. "We have examined these parameters to look at biomarkers of disease," he said.

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