One of the most challenging aspects of malignant mesothelioma is the significant amount of time that elapses between exposure to asbestos and the disease beginning to make itself known. The disease’s long latency period means that symptoms often don’t arise until fifty or sixty years later, and by the time it is diagnosed, it is often too late for meaningful treatment. A group of Scottish researchers has set itself the ambitious task of finding out why.
Researchers Hope to Detect and Treat Mesothelioma Sooner
Mesothelioma researchers from the University of Glasgow have just received funding from Cancer Research UK to figure out why it takes decades for the rare asbestos-related disease to develop. They are starting their project by seeking individuals in the Glasgow, Scotland area who have already been diagnosed with benign inflammation in the lungs and who might have been exposed to asbestos.
The mesothelioma project is expected to last at least two years, with patients who are identified as being eligible being offered the opportunity to contribute to scientific knowledge about the rare form of cancer. The scientists will collect both information about the participants’ asbestos exposure and tissue samples to help them understand who is most at risk of developing the disease and to identify any genetic differences or biological markers that might indicate a predisposition.
Researchers Driven by UK’s High Rate of Mesothelioma
According to Cancer Research UK, the United Kingdom currently has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world. That statistic is driving the push for greater understanding. According to Dr. Alexandrea MacPherson, Meso-ORIGINS Project Manager at the University of Glasgow, “Mesothelioma is a disease of time and space – after initial exposure to asbestos, it can evolve over decades at different times and different places within the pleural space.”
She went on to describe the goal of the mesothelioma project: “We want to understand why mesothelioma takes so long to develop and to discover new ways of predicting the disease so it can be caught early. Once diagnosed, there are very few effective treatments, so discovering the signs before it begins and finding a way to prevent it developing is key.”
Research like this offers hope for mesothelioma victims and their families. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and you need answers, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
