| Q:
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What is mesothelioma? |
| A: |
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a form of cancer found in lung tissue. “Malignant” means that it has the potential to invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.1 “Pleural” refers to the skin that covers the outside of the lung.
Mesothelioma is most common in people who have been around asbestos.2 Many people who develop mesothelioma come into contact with asbestos because of their jobs as miners, shipyard workers, construction workers, or mechanics.2 The disease usually does not develop right away.2 Mesothelioma may not appear until 15 to 50 years after you have been around asbestos or in situations that put you at risk for asbestos exposure.2
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| Q:
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What causes mesothelioma? |
| A:
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Mesothelioma is most common in people who have been around asbestos.3 It is believed that mesothelioma may also be caused by radiation and other cancers.3 Another risk factor associated with mesothelioma is smoking.4 |
| Q:
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What are the types of mesothelioma? |
| A:
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There are three main types of mesotheliomas.5 The most common (50% to 70%) is the epithelioid type.5 About three out of four mesotheliomas start in the chest cavity.5 These are called pleural mesotheliomas.5 Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen (peritoneal mesotheliomas).5 |
| Q:
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How is mesothelioma currently diagnosed?
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| A:
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Imaging studies such as x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can help determine the location, size, and extent of the cancer.6
Fluid and tissue samples can also be evaluated for the presence of cancer cells.6 |
| Q:
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What are the shortcomings of the current diagnostic methods? |
| A:
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It often is hard to diagnose mesothelioma by looking at tissue cells.6 Even under a microscope, mesothelioma can look like other types of cancer.6 For this reason, special laboratory tests such as the miRview™ meso assay can be done to determine whether or not you have mesothelioma.6 |
| Q:
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Why was miRview™ meso developed? |
| A:
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miRview™ meso was developed to give doctors a way to distinguish mesothelioma from other cancers of the lung and pleura. |
| Q:
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How does miRview™ meso work? |
| A:
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Mesothelioma can be hard to diagnose.7 This is because certain types of lung cancer are similar to one another.8-10 miRview™ meso uses microRNA to clearly determine whether or not you have mesothelioma. |
| Q:
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Why do I need miRview™ meso? |
| A:
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miRview™ meso can help your doctor tell whether you have mesothelioma or another form of lung cancer. Once your doctor knows what kind of lung cancer you have, he or she can decide which treatment will work best for you. |
| Q:
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How does my doctor perform the test? |
| A:
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Your doctor will send a small section of your biopsy to Rosetta Genomics for evaluation. |
| Q:
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How accurate is miRview™ meso? |
| A:
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miRview™ meso is very accurate. The sensitivity and specificity of this test have been shown to be 95% and 96%, respectively.11 |
| Q:
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How long does it take to get the results of the test? |
| A:
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Your doctor will receive miRview™ meso test results about 10 business days after he or she sends in the sample. |
| Q:
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What does Rosetta Genomics do? |
| A:
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Rosetta Genomics is focused on developing tests based on a recently discovered family of genes called microRNAs. The tests developed by Rosetta Genomics are used primarily in cancer patients. |
| Q:
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How long has Rosetta Genomics been in business? |
| A:
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Nine years. Rosetta Genomics was founded in 2000. |
| Q:
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Where is Rosetta Genomics based? |
| A:
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Rosetta Genomics is an international company with a laboratory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a research and development center based in Rehovot, Israel. |
