Mesothelioma, a deadly cancer, can take decades before presenting symptoms. A new advancement in testing, the ONCOblot Test from MorNuCo Laboratories, has recently completed a retrospective clinical trial. This test has shown indications of malignant mesothelioma four to ten years in advance of clinical symptoms – a major milestone in finding new treatments for this aggressive cancer.
How is this cancer detected?
Serum samples are taken from people exposed to asbestos, but before they develop mesothelioma. These samples are tested for the presence of the ENOX2 protein. This protein is an early marker predicting mesothelioma and is only present where there is cancer. The ENOX2 protein is able to tell scientists the origin point of the cancer.
“The completion of this trial is an exciting new chapter for our work,” says Nick Miner, Vice President of Business Development. “Although asbestos-induced mesothelioma is a very specific example of early detection, we are currently pursuing larger-scale clinical trials to investigate the utility of the ENOX2 protein marker to predict the onset of cancers of other tissues of origin as well.”
How can I be tested?
A physician must order the ONCOblot test. Multiple factors affect the price and, since this is a new test, it is not covered by insurance. MorNuCo Laboratories is currently seeking FDA approval. The test does meet FDA requirements for a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) and the developers are CLIA Certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and CAP Accredited (College of American Pathologists).
