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Screening
There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have
been exposed to asbestos. Screening tests might diagnose mesothelioma
earlier than conventional methods thus improving the survival prospects
for patients. The serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening
asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble
mesothelin-related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of
patients at diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful
for screening.[2] Doctors have begun testing the Mesomark assay which
measures levels of soluble mesothelin-related proteins (SMRPs) released
by diseased mesothelioma cells.[3]
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