It’s no secret medicine has come a long way. People are beating more types of cancers and deadly diseases because of the strides science and medicine have made to better people’s lives and combat sicknesses that take people from the world too soon and often too quick. According to asbestos.net, mesothelioma is one of those terminal cancers that doesn’t have a cure yet. While there are treatments, the likelihood of survival is grim because the cancer is exposed later in life due to someone’s long-term asbestos inhalation. However, testing your blood may help you catch the disease earlier. Here are four blood tests researchers can diagnose mesothelioma sooner rather than later.
1. Mesomark
This blood test can detect heightened levels of Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptide (SMRP) in your body. Before later symptoms show up, such as shortness of breath and pain in your chest, having this test done frequently allows your doctor to monitor if something is off with your SMRP and help you catch the disease in its earlier stages you the best chance to beat it.
2. SOMAmer
This test is specifically looking at protein targets that could test positive for mesothelioma. It measures 13 biomarkers that detect the disease.
3. Fibulin-3 Test
This is a test specific for malignant mesothelioma. This blood test has caught malignant strains of the disease earlier in research trials, allowing people to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation to fight it. While a malignant diagnosis can be the most deadly, the earlier it’s caught with a test like this, the more time you and your doctors have to brainstorm a treatment plan best suited for you.
4. Human MPF Elisa Kit
This test, developed by the Medical & Biological Laboratories, is looking to measure the maturation promoting factor in blood that leads to mesothelioma’s gene creation. This test has many variations in production, so it’s more likely your doctor will have a version of the test that works for you. Research shows around 3,000 people die each year from mesothelioma. It’s a deadly disease that stays dormant in people’s bodies until it’s nearly too late. This leads to less time and resources to fight, especially as the body weakens. With blood tests like these, there’s a better chance you’ll see something wrong before symptoms take over, and it’s too late. Ask your doctor about these tests and other options to keep you healthy and on the other side of a mesothelioma diagnosis.