Pleural mesothelioma in a couple of brothers

Our plain-English summary of Pleural mesothelioma in a couple of brothers, by C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi (Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2013).

The study

• Authors: C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi
• Journal: Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Published: 2013;17(3):122-3
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 1 article, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Malignant mesotheliomas of the pleura, epithelial type, were observed in two brothers. Both the patients had histories of severe exposure to asbestos, having worked as insulators. The latency periods in the two cases were 26 and 38 years, respectively. Available literature data suggest that mesothelioma occurrence among blood-related people is favored by a genetic predisposition.

In plain English

This case report described two brothers, born in central Italy, who both developed malignant pleural mesothelioma of the epithelial type. Their parents were second cousins. One brother, aged 45, was admitted to hospital in August 2000 and died in June 2003. He had worked intermittently as an insulator at a sodium carbonate factory for about 3 years (1974 to 1981), and intermittently in sugar refineries for nearly 3 years. The other brother, aged 56, was admitted in March 2006 and died in April 2007. He had worked as an insulator for some 20 years (1967 to 1986) in Italy and abroad. Pleural plaques were seen in both. The latency periods were 26 and 38 years. The authors suggested that a pulmonary thromboembolism the second brother had in 2005 may have been the tumor's first sign. The authors stated that both cases were induced by asbestos. Drawing on earlier published studies, they concluded that mesothelioma among blood relatives is not rare and may indicate a genetic predisposition, although asbestos exposure remains the principal cause. The article did not name a fiber type.

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 (two cases)
• Who was studied: Two brothers born in central Italy. One was admitted to a hospital in central Italy in August 2000 at age 45. The other was admitted to a hospital in northern Italy in March 2006 at age 56. Their parents, from a town in Sicily, were second cousins.
• Exposure: Occupational asbestos exposure as insulators, described as severe: about 6 years in total for the first brother and 20 years for the second. No fiber type was named.
• Main results:
  • First brother: malignant mesothelioma, epithelial type, was diagnosed from multiple pleural biopsies. Pleural plaques were also visible. He died in June 2003.
  • First brother's work history: intermittent work as an insulator at a sodium carbonate factory for a total of about 3 years, plus intermittent work in sugar refineries for nearly 3 years.
  • Second brother: multiple pleural tumor nodules with pleural plaques were seen. Malignant mesothelioma, epithelial type, was diagnosed. He died in April 2007.
  • Second brother's work history: worked as an insulator for some 20 years, in thermoelectric plants and chemical industries in Italy and abroad.
  • Latency periods: 26 years for the first brother (which the authors called unexpectedly short) and 38 years for the second.
  • The authors suggested that the second brother's pulmonary thromboembolism in 2005 may have been the first manifestation of the tumor.
  • The brothers' parents were blood relatives (second cousins).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors considered both cases induced by asbestos. Based on data from earlier published studies, they concluded that mesothelioma occurring in several blood relatives is not rare and may indicate a genetic predisposition, even though asbestos exposure remains the principal cause.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Pleural Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma, Pleura, Insulator, Latency.

Related studies

• Concurrent occurrence of renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid features in a married couple: a case report — R. Matsumoto, N. Shinohara, et al. (2015)
• Malignant mesothelioma: global incidence and relationship with asbestos — C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi (2007)
• Global mesothelioma epidemic: Trend and features — C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi (2014)
• Asbestos exposure in malignant mesothelioma of the pleura: a survey of 557 cases — C. Bianchi, A. Brollo, et al. (2001)
• Familial mesothelioma of the pleura--a report of 40 cases — C. Bianchi, A. Brollo, et al. (2004)
• Malignant mesothelioma of the pleura and other malignancies in the same patient — C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi, et al. (2007)

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