Perceive Pancreatic cancer

Cure could Perceive Mesothelioma and Pancreatic Cancer:

U.S. scientists have found specific changes in the blood of patients with two fatal cancers that would enable doctors to diagnose these diseases before.

With a new imaging technology in Soma logic Inc, a research team of the company said that it could detect early signs of pancreatic cancer and a type of lung tumor called Mesothelioma in patients diagnosed yet untreated.

"These Pancretic Cancers are detected at an advanced stage when the possibility of cure is minimal," said Rachel Ostroff, director of clinical research and Soma logic Inc responsible for presenting the results at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"The detection of these aggressive cancers at an earlier stage would identify patients to offer a treatment that improves survival and quality of life," he said.

Pancreatic cancer is relatively rare, but it is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Mesothelioma caused by asbestos, kills between 15,000 and 20,000 people per year worldwide.

This last one is characterized by affecting the Mesothelioma, a membrane lining several body cavities: the peritoneal (abdominal cavity lining), the tunica virginals, and pericardium (lining of the heart), but the vast majority of cases are originated in the pleura (membrane that lines the chest cavity and lungs).

People exposed to asbestos for a long time or exposed to high levels of asbestos have a higher risk of developing malignant Mesothelioma, but even those exposed for a short time can develop this disease, which tends to appear a long period of time after the exposure: at least 15 years (usually 20 to 40 years) after. This disease is usually diagnosed between 50 and 70 years, men being more likely to contract the disease (they are more likely to be exposed to asbestos).

The new technology detects the disease by analyzing proteins in a drop of blood. Soma logic tests using the genetic material fragments that attach to proteins. Soma logic refined a technology that achieves these molecules join specific proteins.

The team analyzed blood samples of patients with both cancer and control groups (with diseases that produce symptoms similar to those of cancers such as lung fibrosis or pancreatitis).

The researchers used computer models to identify significant biological differences, or biomarkers that distinguished blood samples of patients with cancer of the control group.

For both cancers, the researchers found biomarkers of high accuracy and specificity for detecting each type of cancer. Now, it is confirmed by other studies to ensure playback on diagnostic tests.

"It's very easy to discover biomarkers, validate them is, on the other hand, difficult" said Ostroff, who announced that the team will analyze several factors that could generate false positives, as the age of a sample in a rack before submitting it to the test.