Skin Growths May Point to Mesothelioma
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Skin Growths May Point to Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Could benign skin tumors be a warning sign for mesothelioma? One of the world’s leading authorities on mesothelioma says the same genetic mutation that predispose certain people to skin cancer may also put them at higher risk of malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare but serious cancer of the membranous tissue that surrounds and encases the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Its primary cause is exposure to airborne asbestos. However, one of the great mysteries of this highly aggressive cancer is why it strikes some asbestos-exposed individuals and not others? Dr. Michele Carbone and colleagues at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, home to one of the world’s leading mesothelioma research programs, have been working on the problem for years….

Moles Could Point to Mesothelioma Risk
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Moles Could Point to Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

A certain kind of skin lesion may offer a way to identify patients at risk for mesothelioma. Experts at the University of Hawaii, one of the world’s top mesothelioma research centers, say they have identified a type of mole present in people who carry a genetic mutation that may raise their mesothelioma risk. Mesothelioma is a rare but serious cancer of the mesothelial membranes that surround and protect internal organs. Its primary cause is exposure to asbestos. But not all exposed individuals develop mesothelioma. Research conducted by the University of Hawaii’s Dr. Michele Carbone and others found that people with a mutation on the BAP1 gene, a tumor-suppressor known to predispose people to several other types of cancer, also increases their…