Environmental carcinogenesis – 100th anniversary of creating cancer

Abstract

Asbestos is an environmental carcinogen, and asbestos‐related diseases represent a global‐scale environmental issue. Mesothelioma is an aggressive, malignant tumor that initially progresses along the surfaces of the pleura and peritoneum that is chiefly attributed to asbestos exposure. X‐rays are commonly used for tumor screening in populations at risk for developing this cancer. We previously reported that the N‐terminal of mesothelin may be a useful blood marker for early diagnosis method for mesothelioma and since then developed an N‐terminal of mesothelin ELISA kit in collaboration with IBL Co., Ltd. and confirmed its utility as a diagnostic system for mesothelioma. Recently, we performed a large‐scale research screening for mesothelioma and showed that it is a good model for early diagnosis in at‐risk populations. The year 2015 is the 100th anniversary of Yamagiwa's great work on coaltar‐induced carcinogenesis by formative stimulation in 1915 and the 10th year since 2005, “Kubota shock”, people recognized that asbestos induces mesothelioma. We dedicate this review to this memorial year for environmental carcinogenesis.

Environmental asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cases in Bari, Apulia region, southern Italy: a national interest site for land reclamation

“…Asbestos is an environmental carcinogen, and asbestos-related diseases are a global-scale public health issue. The cumulative exposure to asbestos and duration of exposure increase the MM risk (Espina et al 2015 ; Imai and Hino 2015 ). The role of non-occupational asbestos exposure (para-occupational, domestic, or environmental) in the occurrence of MM has already been demonstrated in several studies (Bourdès et al 2000 ; Magnani et al 2001 ; Pasetto et al 2005 ; Ferrante et al 2007 ; Goldberg and Luce 2009 ; Lacourt et al 2014 ).…”

Under-reported data analysis with INAR-hidden Markov chains

“…Asbestos is an environmental carcinogen, and asbestos-related diseases represent a global-scale environmental issue [30]. A particularly concerning asbestos-related disease is malignant mesothelioma, a rare and highly aggressive tumor for which the only known cause is the exposure to asbestos fibers [31].…”

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma with Bone Marrow Metastases

“…Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant tumor derived from the mesothelial cells of the serous membranes in the pleura ( 1 - 3 ). It is classified into the epithelial, biphasic, and sarcomatous types ( 4 ).…”

“…It is classified into the epithelial, biphasic, and sarcomatous types ( 4 ). MPM is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options; the median survival duration is approximately 1 year ( 1 - 3 ). Approximately 70% of MPM cases are associated with asbestos exposure, which is known as the primary risk factor for mesothelioma; asbestos is an environmental carcinogen ( 1 - 3 , 5 ).…”

“…MPM is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options; the median survival duration is approximately 1 year ( 1 - 3 ). Approximately 70% of MPM cases are associated with asbestos exposure, which is known as the primary risk factor for mesothelioma; asbestos is an environmental carcinogen ( 1 - 3 , 5 ). The typically long latency period from asbestos exposure to the onset of MPM ranges from approximately 20-50 years ( 5 ).…”