MESOTHELIOMA, ASBESTOS, AND REPORTED HISTORY OF CANCER IN FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES

BACKGROUND. Although malignant mesothelioma is known to be strongly re lated to asbestos exposure, its relationship to familial factors is un clear. METHODS. We compared reported histories of cancer in first-degr ee relatives, obtained from telephone interviews with the next-of-kin of 196 patients who had a pathologic diagnosis of mesothelioma, and wi th those from 511 deceased controls. RESULTS. Among men exposed to asb estos, we found a statistically significant twofold elevation in the r isk 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 t hose relatives. Associations of asbestos with pleural mesothelioma wer e stronger among men with a reported family history of cancer than men without, although no statistical evidence of an interaction was detec ted. CONCLUSIONS. These results provide suggestive, but limited, evide nce that a family history of cancer may be a risk factor for mesotheli oma, or may indicate an increased susceptibility to mesothelioma given asbestos exposure. (C) 1996 American Cancer Society.