Malignant mesothelioma after household exposure to asbestos

Our plain-English summary of Malignant mesothelioma after household exposure to asbestos, by R. Saba, G.N. Aronu, R.P. Bhatti, et al (Case Reports in Oncological Medicine, 2013).

The study

• Authors: R. Saba, G.N. Aronu, R.P. Bhatti, A.E. Mirrakhimov, N. Anusim, A. Barbaryan, S.G. Kwatra, N. Iroegbu
• Journal: Case Reports in Oncological Medicine
• Published: 2013;2013:570487
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive cancer that has been closely linked to asbestos exposure. Initially recognized as an occupational cancer in male workers, MM was later found to occur in their family members as well. We report the case of an 89-year-old female who presented with abdominal distention, pain, and findings consistent with malignant ascites. Family history was significant for fatal mesothelioma in her husband of 40 years, who was a worker at a tile factory. The diagnosis of MM was confirmed on pathologic examination of the omental core biopsy.

In plain English

This is a case report about one woman, aged 89, who was admitted to the authors' hospital in Chicago with two weeks of worsening abdominal pain and swelling. She had no history of smoking or of asbestos exposure at work. Her husband of 40 years, a tile factory worker, had died of mesothelioma three years earlier. The article does not name a fiber type for her case or describe how she was exposed at home. A CT scan showed fluid in the abdomen, slight nodules in the abdominal lining suspicious for cancer, a small fluid collection by the lung, and calcified pleural plaques on both sides. A blood marker, CA-125, was raised at 420 U/mL. A core biopsy of the omentum, taken while a drainage catheter was placed for symptom relief, showed well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of epithelioid type. A second review at another institution agreed. The authors concluded that household exposure of wives of workers may increase the risk of mesothelioma. A single case shows what happened to one person, not how often it happens.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Case report of a single patient
• Who was studied: One 89-year-old woman admitted to the authors' hospital (Saint Joseph Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA). No date of admission is given.
• Exposure: Household exposure. Her husband of 40 years worked at a tile factory and died of mesothelioma. She had no occupational exposure to asbestos and no smoking history. The article states no fiber type or route of exposure for this patient. The discussion mentions amosite only when describing an earlier report about other workers.
• Main results:
  • The patient reported no smoking and no occupational exposure to asbestos.
  • CT showed moderate to severe ascites and minimal nodularity in the peritoneal cavity suspicious for malignancy.
  • CT also showed calcified pleural plaques on both sides.
  • The tumor marker CA-125 was elevated in the patient at 420 U/mL (normal 0 to 35 U/mL).
  • Testing of the patient's abdominal fluid gave findings consistent with reactive mesothelial cells as well as peritoneal mesothelioma.
  • The biopsy was taken during placement of a palliative peritoneal catheter.
  • The omental core biopsy showed well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of epithelioid type.
  • A second pathology review at a tertiary institution confirmed the diagnosis.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that household exposure of wives of workers may increase the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma, and that a high index of suspicion is warranted in such cases.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Malignant Mesothelioma, Asbestos Exposure, Ascites, Mesothelioma, Biopsy.

Related studies

• Household-contact asbestos neoplastic risk — H.A. Anderson, R. Lilis, et al. (1976)
• Asbestosis among household contacts of asbestos factory workers — H.A. Anderson, R. Lilis, et al. (1979)
• Mesothelioma in household members of asbestos-exposed workers: 32 United States cases since 1990 — A. Miller (2005)
• Asbestos-related disease from household exposure — G.R. Epler, M.X. Fitz Gerald, et al. (1980)
• Environmental household exposures to asbestos and occurrence of pleural mesothelioma — D. Dodoli, M. Del Nevo, et al. (1992)
• Pleural mesothelioma and household asbestos exposure — J. Schneider, K. Straif, et al. (1996)

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