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6864562 
Journal Article 
Epidemiology of Mesothelioma 
Moolgavkar, SH; Chang, ET; Mezei, G; Mowat, FS; , 
2017 
SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG 
CHAM 
ASBESTOS AND MESOTHELIOMA 
43-72 
WOS:000417711100003 
While malignant mesothelioma has generally been associated with exposure to asbestos, several lines of evidence suggest strongly that, like all other cancers, it can and does occur spontaneously and that age is a strong risk factor for its development. This includes not only pleural mesothelioma, the most common site for this disease, but also extra-pleural sites (peritoneum, pericardium, tunica vaginalis testis). Recent epidemiologic studies show that ionizing radiation is another risk factor. The discovery of a germline mutation in the BRCA1 associated protein 1 (BAP1) gene, the inheritance of which increases greatly the risk of developing mesothelioma, may provide the first step in the understanding of the underlying genetic events in the pathogenesis of mesothelioma. Whether and how inheritance of this mutation interacts with other risk factors remains an open question. The diminution of the impact of asbestos on mesothelioma incidence in western countries due to its phase-out may enable the discovery of more modest risk factors. Exposure-response relationships are probably determined by the entire temporal history of exposure, not just the cumulative exposure to fibers. The concept of latency is more nuanced than appears at first sight. 
Testa, JR; 
978-3-319-53558-6