Asbestos-related familial mesothelioma

Abstract

Familial mesotheliomas are reported in four pairs of patients. The group includes six men and two women, aged between 44 and 84 years. A blood relation (father-son) existed in two pairs only. All the present patients had histories of exposure to asbestos; in five cases exposure had occurred in the shipyards. Familial mesothelioma could represent a useful model for investigating genetic-environmental interactions.