Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, is an extremely challenging and aggressive illness that is always considered fatal. Even confirming a diagnosis can be difficult, but a recent study conducted by German researchers has concluded that a lung fluid test that measures hyaluronic acid levels is extremely accurate at both identifying the disease and ruling it out.
Accurate Diagnosis is the First Challenge for Mesothelioma Patients
We all know that the first step to treating an illness is identifying exactly what it is, but that is more easily said than done when a patient is suspected of having malignant mesothelioma. The tests that are available for more common forms of cancer do not clearly identify this rare disease: initial imaging scans and tests of lung fluids need to be followed up with tissue biopsies, and all of this takes weeks, or even months. The longer it takes to confirm diagnosis, the more valuable time is lost. That’s why the recent discovery by researchers from HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal is so important.
Writing in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, researchers say that the accuracy of the lung fluid tests they conducted for mesothelioma is so high that it can be used to positively confirm the illness without having to move on to a tissue biopsy. The difference in accuracy in the cytology tests comes with the addition of testing patients’ hyaluronic acid levels.
German Researchers Analyzed More than 4,500 Cytology Tests for Pleural Mesothelioma
The researchers analyzed 5,731 samples of pleural taken between 2000 and 2017 from over 4,500 patients suspected of having pleural mesothelioma. The tests of the fluid alone were 0.50 accurate, but when researchers also tested for hyaluronic acid levels they were able to raise the diagnostic accuracy to 0.70. They also found that this test was 0.99 accurate at ruling mesothelioma out. They concluded that this level of accuracy meant that cytology tests alone could be used to quickly and easily confirm malignant mesothelioma diagnoses.
Lead author Christian Biancosino wrote, “We conclude that cytological evaluation of effusions aided by the assessment of HA demonstrates the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for malignant mesothelioma no less than the hitherto standard histological evaluation.”
If you or someone you love has been exposed to asbestos and you are experiencing concerning symptoms, quick diagnosis is essential. For information on resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
