‘Better’ test for asbestos cancer. bbcnews. August 24, 2009. Scientists claim they have developed a more sensitive test for the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.The cancer develops long after exposure to asbestos but patients usually have a limited life expectancy. The test developed by a team at Oxford University looks at levels of a protein closely linked to the cancer in fluid around the lungs. A UK lung expert welcomed the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine study. [ See ]