Analysis of Asbestos Concentration in 20 Cases of Pseudomesotheliomatous Lung Cancer

Abstract

Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm caused by asbestos exposure. The majority of mesotheliomas arise from the pleural lining of the thoracic cavity, but also involve the peritoneal and pericardial cavities. Another type of neoplasm referred to as pseudomesotheliomatous adenocarcinoma is rare. Most “pseudomesotheliomas” arise in the pleural tissue of the chest cavity and resemble pleural mesotheliomas, macroscopically and histologically. While most arise in the pleura, there are some that metastasize to the pleura from another site. We evaluated asbestos fiber concentrations in 20 cases of pseudomesotheliomatous lung cancer and found a significant number to contain an elevated concentration of asbestos in their lung tissue, which is similar with our study of 55 mesothelioma cases published in 1997. This would provide evidence that some pseudomesotheliomatous lung cancers are caused by asbestos.

• Asbestos burden
• electron microscopy
• pseudomesothelioma

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express appreciation to Ms. Michaele Stoll for her editorial assistance with the manuscript and to Ms. Melissa Mahannah for her assistance in data processing for the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The cases in the present study were submitted to one of the author’s laboratory (SPH) for tissue diagnosis as part of a medical and/or legal evaluation and payment was received for said service. Dr. Samuel P. Hammar has served as an expert in litigation cases, predominantly for the plaintiff, where there are claims of injury from asbestos exposure. Dr. Ronald F. Dodson serves as an expert witness at the request of plaintiff and defense firms involved in asbestos litigation. He also occasionally has served as a consultant to the court in such cases. Dodson has and does serve on panels/workshops for federal agencies in programs involving exposure to elongated mineral particles and human health. The authors are solely responsible for the content of this manuscript and the research described in the manuscript.