Mesothelioma and Asbestosis

• Fact: Asbestos is a very common insulation material in homes.
• Fact: Asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer.
• Fact: Most people don't know about it until it's too late.

Am J Med Sci. 2005 Jan;329(1):29-44. Malignant pleural mesothelioma. Kaplan NM, Palmer BF, Hughes RS. From the Division of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.

"Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an uncommon tumor; only about 3000 cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Cases were described early in the 20th century, but their relationship to asbestos exposure was not documented until 1960. Since then, the incidence has appeared to increase, and numerous epidemiologic studies have confirmed that exposure to asbestos in a variety of settings and occupations is the most significant risk factor for the development of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

More recently, the oncogenic virus SV40 has also been implicated as a potential etiologic agent. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have each been used in the treatment of mesothelioma, but generally with little impact on survival. New directions in therapy include aggressive multimodality programs for potentially resectable patients and targeted therapies, including antifolates, antiangiogenesis agents, and drugs directed at epidermal growth factor receptor for the majority of patients presenting with unresectable disease."

Vet Pathol. 2005 Jan;42(1):77-81. Invasive epithelial mesothelioma in a dog. Reggeti F, Brisson B, Ruotsalo K, Southorn E, Bienzle D. Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 (Canada). freggeti@uoguelph.ca.

"This report describes the gross, microscopic, and immunohistochemical features of an invasive epithelial mesothelioma in an 11-year-old neutered male Golden Retriever. The tumor involved the pericardium, pleura, mediastinum, and peritoneum and invaded into submesothelial tissues.

Neoplastic cells in the thoracic fluid showed prominent features of malignancy in a background of mixed inflammatory cells and scattered erythrocytes. Histologically, the tumor consisted of nests of epithelioid cells with frequent mitotic figures and multinucleation that infiltrated submesothelial tissues. Neoplastic cells strongly coexpressed vimentin and cytokeratin intermediate filaments, which assisted in the differentiation from other epithelial tumors of nonmesothelial origin."

How can you avoid exposure to this hidden danger?