Mesothelioma

Abstract

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare cancer mostly associated with asbestos exposure (reviewed in1) although very recently it has been found that germline mutations in BRCA1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) may predispose to mesothelioma development in non-asbestos exposed patients.2 The median latency between asbestos exposure and disease onset is 44.6 years based on the Italian Mesothelioma Registry and increases over time in a linear fashion.3 Environmental asbestos exposure is common in some villages of Turkey. Here the rate of mesothelioma mortality can be over hundred-fold higher than in control villages.