Glasgow project to investigate long-standing cancer mystery
Published: 23 December 2024
Scientists are seeking participants in Glasgow to help solve one of the longest standing mysteries in cancer – how and why it can take decades for mesothelioma to develop after exposure to asbestos.
Scientists are seeking participants in Glasgow to help solve one of the longest standing mysteries in cancer – how and why it can take decades for mesothelioma to develop after exposure to asbestos.
The Cancer Research UK-funded project, Meso-ORIGINS led by researchers at the University of Glasgow, aims to find a way to detect and treat mesothelioma earlier and investigate if the disease can be prevented in the first place.
Mesothelioma is a cancer which develops in the pleural space, the lining of the lung, and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Only a small proportion of patients with inflammation of the pleural space go on to develop mesothelioma. Asbestos fibres can embed themselves in different parts of the lungs so the disease can develop at different rates in different parts of the pleural space.
Only around 4 in 10 (44.3%) people diagnosed with mesothelioma in Scotland survive their disease for one year or more making new ways to detect it and treat it earlier vital.*
The research team are keen to recruit people in the Glasgow area already diagnosed with benign (non-cancerous) inflammation in the lungs, who may have been exposed to asbestos.
Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Gartnavel General and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals in the city are among 28 hospitals across the UK currently recruiting patients, with the project extending over the next two years. Eligible patients who attend these hospitals will be offered the chance to take part in the study and contribute to mesothelioma research.
Vital data and tissue samples from participants will help build a picture of who is at most risk of developing mesothelioma and identify any genetic differences or biological markers which indicate a predisposition to the disease.
Dr Alexandrea MacPherson, Meso-ORIGINS Project Manager at the University of Glasgow, said: “Mesothelioma is a disease of time and space – after initial exposure to asbestos it can evolve over decades at different times and different places within the pleural space.
“We want to understand why mesothelioma takes so long to develop and to discover new ways of predicting the disease so it can be caught early.
“Once diagnosed there are very few effective treatments so discovering the signs before it begins, and finding a way to prevent it developing, is key.”
Mesothelioma currently has a very poor survival rate and can take more than 40 years to develop. Early symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue and constant coughing can be overlooked because they resemble other illnesses.
According to Cancer Research UK, the UK currently endures the highest incidence of mesothelioma worldwide, with the disease more prevalent in men due to occupation-related exposure, and rates significantly higher in the West Coast of Scotland than the Scotland average with around 100 of the 200 new cases in Scotland each year in the region.**
There was widespread industrial use of asbestos between 1950 and 1980, particularly in Glasgow and surrounding areas as the material was manufactured in nearby towns such as Clydebank and used in heavy industry like ship building, which the River Clyde was famed for.
Research funded by Cancer Research UK revealed there are no safe levels of working with asbestos. This led to health and safety policies to protect future generations from mesothelioma and the charity continues to invest in finding new ways to beat the devastating disease.
While asbestos has been illegal to use in the UK since the early 1990s, mesothelioma cases have increased in recent years due to the long period of time it can take to develop, and asbestos remains legal in other countries.
Dr Catherine Elliott, Cancer Research UK Director of Research, said: “Mesothelioma, despite asbestos being outlawed decades ago, is increasingly being diagnosed and is in desperate need of more effective treatments.
“Cancer Research UK is delighted to support this research project which aims to shed a light on why it can take years to develop after someone is exposed to asbestos.
“Long-term in-depth research projects like this are essential to developing our understanding of cancer and helping us find ways to stop it in its tracks.”
Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk
First published: 23 December 2024