In commemoration of the 2018 Mataro Nagayo Prize: A road to early diagnosis and monitoring of asbestos‐related mesothelioma

Abstract

Primarily caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma is a typical occupational disease. The latency of mesothelioma is as long as 20‐40 years, and the cancer initially progresses mainly along the surfaces of pleura or peritoneum without forming masses. As symptoms do not develop until late stages, it has been challenging to diagnose this disease in its early stages and to carry out complete surgical removal. In responding to Japan's asbestos crisis in the mid‐2000s, we have developed and improved ERC/MSLN‐based serum and radiological markers and pioneered the use of an N‐ERC ELISA kit for screening populations at risk for asbestos exposure. In the present article, we review our research toward early diagnosis of asbestos‐related mesothelioma before symptoms develop and share our clinical experience of screening, diagnosing and monitoring of this disease. This paper is dedicated to the author (Dr Okio Hino) to commemorate the honor bestowed upon him as the recipient of the Mataro Nagayo Prize in 2018.

Hereditary & Environmental Cancer ∼ Asbestos･Mesothelioma Clinic & Cancer Philosophy Clinic ∼

“…Regarding the epithelioid type in particular, the AUC (area under the curve) was 0.91, the sensitivity was 0.95, and the specificity was 0.76 in plasma. Although the number of patients enrolled was small, the 7-20 ELISA system was clinically proven useful for precise diagnosis of the epithelioid type of pleural mesothelioma 10) .…”

“…Hirohashi et al 11) reported that overall, 62 participants were ultimately identified as the"high-risk" population and referred to have further assessment. "High-Risk"was defined as the following: i) absence of any evidence of renal dysfunction based on medical history and a laboratory test; ii) age ≥ 35 years and iii) detection of abnormal values (> 8.0 ng/ml) of N-ERC on more than two occasions during the annual assessments 10) .…”

“…As the winner of the Mataro Nagayo Prize in 2018, the author (Dr. Okio Hino) appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the global society by sharing our learned knowledge with other countries experiencing increased incidence of asbestosrelated mesothelioma 10) .…”

Serum Levels of N- and C-ERC/Mesothelin and Clinicopathological Factors in Mesothelioma Patients and Those without Mesothelioma

“…Asbestos/mesothelioma outpatient clinic was established in Juntendo University hospital in 2005, to screen the asbestos-exposed laborers and their family members for the early diagnosis of mesothelioma 9 - 10) . The patients took the regular check of chest x-ray or blood test including N-ERC and C-ERC.…”

Association of genetic variants in the 3′‐untranslated region of the mesothelin (MSLN) gene with ovarian carcinoma

“…The mesothelin (MSLN) precursor protein is a 69‐kDa (630 amino acid residues) that is proteolytically processed into the 29‐kDa megakaryocyte potentiating factor (MPF) and 40‐kDa membrane‐bound mature MSLN using the protease furin at cleavage site Arg295, Figure 1. [ 5,10–12 ] MSLN is supposed to be expressed on the exterior side of multiple cancerous tissues including ovarian carcinoma, [ 13–17 ] gastric adenocarcinoma, [ 18,19 ] colorectal cancer, [ 20 ] malignant mesothelioma, [ 21–24 ] cervical squamous cell carcinoma, [ 25 ] breast carcinoma, [ 26–28 ] uterine carcinoma, [ 29 ] and esophageal adenocarcinoma, [ 30 ] and hence this polypeptide could represent a prognostic indicator for various malignancies.…”