A new study could lead to ways to extend the lives of patients with a lethal form of lung cancer.

A study by researchers at New York University School of Medicine and Wayne State University  published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, finds a molecule that reveals the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, a chest cancer caused by asbestos.

 ”It’s called osteopontin, and it’s been discovered before, but not really as an early detection marker for mesothelioma, what it means is this is a disease that’s usually found late in the course of the disease- and the survival is not good when found late,” say Dr. Harvey Pass is the study’s lead author.

They found that levels of a specific protein rise dramatically in the early stages of this disease. This finding could lead the way to an early detection blood test.  “What has to be done now is take this marker and validate it in big trials. It’s important to know that patients who present with early mesothelioma, earliest stage, stage one, can have 5 year survival. So we need to look towards that and have more patients live longer with the disease.”

 Right now, fewer than five-percent of mesothelioma cases are detected early. And by the time it is detected– the prognosis is not good. Dr. Pass, “Mesothelioma is a horrible cancer which involves the linings of the lungs and chest cavity and can also involve the abdomen- what happens it patients develop fluid first then solid tumor. It squeezes the lung and they can’t breathe. They lose weight and if untreated patients can die as early as 9 months after diagnosis. So it’s an aggressive tumor but if detected early, we have some indication that they can be salvaged for long term survival.”

 Patients usually only live between nine and twelve months. According to federal statistics, an estimated 7.5 million workers in this country  have been exposed to asbestos. And, it remains a hazard to about one-point-three million workers, in construction and building maintenance.

The research was funded by a Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Award and by donations from patients.