Harvey I. Pass, MD

Harvey I. Pass, MD, Stephen E. Banner professor of Thoracic Oncology, vice-chair research, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, division chief, General Thoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses some of the challenges of treating patients with mesothelioma.

Pass says mesothelioma notoriously affects the elderly and symptoms can be slow to develop and not recognizable, which causes a delay in treatment management. Because of the nature of the disease, Pass says, only about 20% of patients with mesothelioma are good surgical candidates for multimodality treatment.

Pass says it is important to find the disease earlier, when effective therapies may have a chance.

Mesothelioma typically affects elderly patients and symptoms can be slow in development or not recognizable

Only about 20% of patients with mesothelioma are good surgical candidates for multimodality treatment

It is important to find the disease early, when effective therapies may have a chance

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Harvey I. Pass, MD, discusses some of the challenges of treating patients with mesothelioma

The Challenges of Treating Mesothelioma

Harvey I. Pass, MD, Stephen E. Banner Professor of Thoracic Oncology, Vice-Chair Research, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Division Chief, General Thoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses blood-based markers in lung cancer.

Pass says the Early Detection Research Network, an NCI-approved group, is handling the research on biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer. The group is looking at blood-based markers, such as micro RNAs and proteomic platforms, in order to try to determine if a nodule on a CT scan is malignant or benign.

Pass says that though there is not a definitive profile, there is a company that is currently commercializing one. However, the sensitivity and specificity of the profile is still not perfect and further tests are being performed.

The Early Detection Research Network is currently working on a blood-based marker for the early detection of lung cancer

While there is a company that is commercializing a profile for the early detection of lung cancer, the sensitivity and specificity of the profile is not perfect

Harvey I. Pass, MD, discusses blood-based markers in lung cancer.

Harvey I. Pass, MD | Authors

Articles

The Challenges of Treating Mesothelioma

Blood-Based Markers in Lung Cancer