Diagnostic biomarker of asbestos-related mesothelioma: Example of translational research.
Cancer Sci. 2007 Aug;98(8):1147-51
Authors: Okio H, Kazu S, Masahiro M
Mesothelioma is an aggressive tumor arising from the mesothelium, and is usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. The incubation period of asbestos-related mesothelioma is estimated to be approximately 30-40 years. Once mesothelioma has occurred, there is no effective treatment. So, identification of tumor markers and a method for early diagnosis using such markers are urgently needed. Recently, several enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay systems for Erc/mesothelin have been developed, the reported usefulness of which has been assessed and demonstrated as a diagnostic tool. Asbestos-related mesothelioma should be ascribed as a typical environmental carcinogen. In this review, we will present asbestos-related mesothelioma for the study of problems in environmental carcinogenesis.
PMID: 17532755 [PubMed - in process]
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