Medical professionals may now be able to give a more accurate prognosis to patients with mesothelioma than ever before.
Research is ongoing to find better ways to diagnose and treat mesothelioma. For example, one study recently published by Italian scientists demonstrates that the presence of a protein called placental growth factor (PlGF) can actually help determine both the prognosis and the best course of treatment for mesothelioma patients.
What is PIGF?
PIGF is a protein normally found in very high levels in both the cells of developing placentas and in mesothelioma cells. It seems to have an influence on the survival of malignant tumors.
PlGF is also related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which has been shown to encourage the growth of new blood vessels. These blood vessels can also feed tumors.
Not only can stopping the development of the VEGF induced blood vessels slow down the growth of tumors relying on the new blood vessels to provide it nutrients, a better prognosis can now be predicted since the studies also show that higher PlGF levels in mesothelioma patients resulted in shorter survival time after invasive surgery, and lower levels of the same protein indicated longer survival times.
While there is no cure for mesothelioma, PlGF shows promise as a diagnostic tool to determine the prognosis of mesothelioma patients, as well as a potential avenue for new mesothelioma treatments.
Tags: mesothelioma, mesothelioma research, mesothelioma treatment
