June 15th, 2005

A blood test developed by Australian experts could prove an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of the deadly asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma. The blood test was developed by Professor Bruce Robinson and his team at the University of Western Australia, and has become known as Mesomark.

Mesothelioma is typically a very difficult disease to diagnose for a number of reasons. Firstly, the latency period for this cancer means that symptoms do not manifest for several decades following exposure, making it difficult to detect the cancer until it has reached more advanced stages.

In addition to this, symptoms are very non-specific, which means that they could be attributed to one of a number of more common ailments before mesothelioma is considered.

One of the researchers said, "The test is a breakthrough because it's a simple blood test, it could therefore be applied to patients who are at risk, those who have a history of exposure or symptoms of the disease."