Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Orthotopic Implantation and Peripheral Immune Cell Monitoring in the II-45 Syngeneic Rat Mesothelioma Model
09:31

Orthotopic Implantation and Peripheral Immune Cell Monitoring in the II-45 Syngeneic Rat Mesothelioma Model

Published on: October 2, 2015

Development of malignant mesothelioma during treatment for prolymphocytic leukemia: is asbestos or simian virus 40 a

Tawee Tanvetyanon1, Amira G Elmishad, Michele Carbone

  • 1Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. ttanve@lumc.edu

Anticancer Research
|April 9, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Heavy asbestos exposure may link B-prolymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (B-PLL) and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Simian virus 40 (SV40) was not detected, implicating asbestos as the sole common factor.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Environmental Medicine
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Investigating the etiology of concurrent B-prolymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (B-PLL) and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
  • Exploring potential links to asbestos exposure and simian virus 40 (SV40).

Observation:

  • A patient with a history of heavy asbestos exposure presented with B-PLL and subsequently developed malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
  • Imaging confirmed asbestos exposure via bilateral pleural plaques.
  • SV40 DNA was not detected in bone marrow or peritoneal mesothelioma tissues via PCR.

Findings:

  • Asbestos is identified as the sole potential common causative agent for both B-PLL and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in this patient.
  • No evidence of SV40 infection was found.
  • Fludarabine, an immunosuppressive chemotherapy, may have accelerated mesothelioma progression.

Implications:

  • Highlights the potential long-term oncogenic effects of asbestos exposure.
  • Suggests a possible role for immunosuppressive therapy in accelerating unrelated malignancies.
  • Underscores the importance of considering occupational and environmental exposures in complex oncological cases.

More Related Videos

Generation and Expansion of Primary, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Tumor Lines08:01

Generation and Expansion of Primary, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Tumor Lines

Published on: April 21, 2022

Implantation and Monitoring by PET/CT of an Orthotopic Model of Human Pleural Mesothelioma in Athymic Mice07:54

Implantation and Monitoring by PET/CT of an Orthotopic Model of Human Pleural Mesothelioma in Athymic Mice

Published on: December 21, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers01:51

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers

Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...