Pleural mesothelioma associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Our plain-English summary of Pleural mesothelioma associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, by M. Tondini, G. Rocco, M. Travaglini, et al (Thorax, 1994).

The study

• Authors: M. Tondini, G. Rocco, M. Travaglini, G. Rossi, A. Buscemi, L. de Fazio
• Journal: Thorax
• Published: 1994;49(12):1269-70
• Type of article: Case report, Review
• Cited by: 10 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Occupational exposure to asbestos has been associated with an increased incidence of lung and gastric cancers, mesotheliomas, and myelolymphoid malignancies. A new observation of a patient with indirect exposure to asbestos who developed mesothelioma and plasmacytoid lymphocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is described. This report and the previously described stimulation of B lymphocytes by asbestos suggests that the association of mesothelioma with lymphoid and plasma cell malignancies is not merely a coincidence.

In plain English

This was a case report of one 58-year-old man referred in August 1991 with fluid around the left lung. The report described 30 years of work exposure to asbestos-containing insulating materials. The fiber type was not given. Some asbestos fibres were found in fluid washed from the lungs, though X-rays showed no signs of past asbestos exposure. A biopsy of nodules on the lining of the chest wall showed epithelial malignant mesothelioma. A bone marrow biopsy confirmed a low-grade plasmacytoid lymphocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma infiltrating up to 70% of the marrow. Blood tests showed a monoclonal IgM protein and signs of immune activation. The patient was treated with chemotherapy, a steroid and drugs placed into the chest cavity, and died in April 1992. No post-mortem examination was done. The authors suggested that this case, together with earlier reports that asbestos stimulates B lymphocytes, indicates that mesothelioma occurring with lymphoid and plasma cell cancers is not merely a coincidence. They called for more epidemiological studies of the risk of lymphoid and plasma cell cancers in people with occupational or environmental asbestos exposure.

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 (single patient)
• Who was studied: One 58-year-old previously healthy man, a smoker of 10 cigarettes a day, referred in August 1991 with a left pleural effusion. The authors worked at a regional hospital in Sondalo (Sondrio), Italy.
• Exposure: 30-year history of professional exposure to asbestos-containing insulating materials. Fiber type not stated.
• Main results:
  • A biopsy of nodules on the parietal pleura showed epithelial malignant mesothelioma.
  • A bone marrow biopsy confirmed a concurrent low-grade plasmacytoid lymphocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma infiltrating up to 70% of the bone marrow.
  • Serum testing showed a monoclonal IgM kappa peak.
  • Some asbestos fibres, but no neoplastic cells, were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
  • No radiological evidence of previous asbestos exposure was seen in this patient.
  • Flow cytometry showed increased T lymphocytes due to increased CD4 cells, a high number of HLA-DR (activated) cells and a decreased proportion of natural killer lymphocytes.
  • Intrapleural cisplatin produced some regression of the effusion and pleural nodules.
  • The patient died in April 1992. No post-mortem examination was performed.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors suggested that this report, with the previously described stimulation of B lymphocytes by asbestos, indicates that the association of mesothelioma with lymphoid and plasma cell malignancies is not merely a coincidence. They said more epidemiological studies are needed to assess the risk of developing lymphoid and plasma cell malignancies in patients with occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis, Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Pleural Mesothelioma, Occupational Exposure, Stomach Cancer, Mesothelioma.

Related studies

• Pleural mesothelioma with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma — P. Hughes, C.R. McGavin (1995)
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Pleural Mesothelioma in a Person Exposed to Asbestos — C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi (2018)
• Simian virus 40 is present in most United States human mesotheliomas, but it is rarely present in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma — P. Rizzo, M. Carbone, et al. (1999)
• A death-certificate case-control study of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and occupation in men in North Carolina — M.C. Schumacher, E. Delzell (1988)
• Malignant mesothelioma after radiation treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma — M.L. De Bruin, J.A. Burgers, et al. (2009)
• Clinicopathologic characteristics of malignant mesotheliomas arising in patients with a history of radiation for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma — L.R. Chirieac, J.A. Barletta, et al. (2013)

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