According to a study published in the May 6 Journal of the National Cancer Institute(JNCI), scientists have recently devised a test that can accurately predict which mesothelioma patients have the best chance for survival. The test is also useful for identifying which patients would be the best candidates for surgery, another treatment option for mesothelioma cancer.
The test is deceptively simple; it works by identifying the ratios of four genes present in tissue samples of mesothelioma cancer patients and comparing them with samples of tissue from patients who have survived mesothelioma cancer for an extended period of time. The gene test proved to provide consistent and easily repeatable results across different research campuses. Despite different technicians using different instruments in different laboratories, the test showed a high efficacy rate.
The test was devised by Dr. Raphael Bueno, the Associate Chief in the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Previously, predicting a patient's prognosis was an invasive process; according to Dr. Bueno, major surgery was required to adequately predict the outcome. In the interest of creating a more accessible, less invasive, and accurately informative test, Dr. Bueno and his team looked to preexisting cancer tests. Specifically, the team looked at two gene-based testing methods that have been used in predicting breast cancer recurrence. Though this technology has not been widely used due to heavy logistical requirements, the inspiration provided enough incentive to help Dr. Bueno and his team develop what could be one of the biggest steps forward in accurate mesothelioma diagnosis in recent years.
The study announced in the JNCI was to determine how accurately the test predicted the survival rates of patients. Researchers examined samples of tissue from 120 mesothelioma patients and followed their cases until 2007 or until their death. Using the gene ratio test, researchers categorized the participants in two groups: a good outcome group, and a poor outcome group. On average, the poor outcome group survived 9.5 months; the good outcome group survived 16.8 months, almost double the rate of survival.
Since this test is so revealing about the survival rates of patients, it provides an opportunity for families and individuals to choose the best treatment option for mesothelioma cancer. Patients with good gene ratio test results could be more likely to benefit from surgery, while those in the lower survival rate group seek the best supportive care available.
Mesothelioma is often a very debilitating condition that may require large amounts of physical therapy and treatment options as well as require thousands of dollars in medical costs. It is common for many patients to discuss a mesothelioma lawsuit with an experienced personal injury attorney.
By contacting a mesothelioma lawyer, a patient is increasing their chances of receiving monetary funds as a compensation for the damages endured because of mesothelioma cancer. Additionally, a mesothelioma lawsuit may also result in the reimbursement of expensive medical bills as well as open the door for patients to receive costly medical care that they may have otherwise been able to afford or receive.
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