Study Suggests Genetics at Work in Mesothelioma

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers, yet most people who are exposed never get the disease, suggesting that genetics plays a role.

Now there is evidence to support that idea, reported Sunday by a team that included researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center.

In a study published online by Nature Genetics, the authors described two extended families in which mesothelio-ma was common. Eleven people with the lung disease had mutations in a gene called BAP1, which plays a role in tumor suppression and in recycling cellular proteins... Read More