Blood Test Detects Hidden Mesothelioma Missed by Scans

Speedy Summary

• A clinical trial explored immunotherapy as a treatment before and after surgery for diffuse pleural mesothelioma, a rare and tough-to-treat cancer affecting the lung lining.
• Mesothelioma primarily impacts individuals exposed to asbestos, with about 30,000 cases diagnosed globally each year.
• The trial focused on using Neoadjuvant Nivolumab or Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in cases where tumors were surgically removable.Results presented at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer showed feasibility and safety of this approach.
• The study utilized circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from blood samples to predict treatment effectiveness, offering insights into monitoring therapy outcomes where customary imaging falls short.
• Researchers detected improvement in survival metrics but noted this data requires validation through further studies to prove clinical efficacy conclusively.
• Supported by diverse institutions and grants-including academic cancer centers and Bristol Myers Squibb-the study highlighted opportunities for refining therapies for mesothelioma patients in perioperative periods.

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Indian Opinion Analysis
The advances showcased in this study have implications for global healthcare systems managing rare cancers like mesothelioma-including India’s evolving oncology landscape. With limited access to advanced diagnostic methods such as ctDNA sequencing across developing nations, scaling technologies like ultra-sensitive genome-wide testing could improve early prognosis potential locally over time.

This research reinforces the growing role of immunotherapy-a field India is beginning to explore-both pre-surgery (neoadjuvant care) and post-surgery options seem promising yet remain experimental pending validation of measurable survival benefits globally outlined convincingly avoiding premature expectations