title: Mesothelioma, asbestos, and reported history of cancer in first-degree relatives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although malignant mesothelioma is known to be strongly related to asbestos exposure, its relationship to familial factors is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared reported histories of cancer in first-degree relatives, obtained from telephone interviews with the next-of-kin of 196 patients who had a pathologic diagnosis of mesothelioma, and with those from 511 decreased controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among men exposed to asbestos, we found a statistically significant twofold elevation in the risk of mesothelioma for patients reporting cancer in two or more first-degree relatives. We found no significant elevation in women or among the small number of men without asbestos exposure. The next-of-kin of three patients (but no controls) reported a possible mesothelioma in a first-degree relative; asbestos exposure could not be ruled out in those relatives. Associations of asbestos with pleural mesothelioma were stronger among men with a reported family history of cancer than men without, although no statistical evidence of an interaction was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide suggestive, but limited, evidence that a family history of cancer may be a risk factor for mesothelioma, or may indicate an increased susceptibility to mesothelioma given asbestos exposure.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Studies Section, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7364, USA.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Heineman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spirtas
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000235:genetics*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos