Peritoneal Mesothelioma May Be Linked to Crohn ’ s Disease

Chronic abdominal inflammation, typical of Crohn’s disease, could be a contributing factor in the development of peritoneal mesothelioma, according to a recent study. Pathologists from the University of Vermont and Duke University studied the link between the two diseases, raising the possibility of a previously underreported connection. The Journal of Clinical Pathology earlier this month published the retrospective study, providing insights on new inflammatory pathways that may lead to one type of the rare asbestos-related cancer. “The observations in this study prompt consideration of chronic serosal inflammation secondary to CD [Crohn’s disease] as a possible inducing factor in rare cases of malignant mesothelioma,” lead author and University of Vermont Medical Center pathologist Dr. Kelly Butnor wrote in the report. A university spokesperson told Asbestos.com that Butnor declined to comment about the study. Details of Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Crohn’s Disease Study Duke University School of Medicine pathologist Dr. Victor Roggli, who specializes in asbestos-related diseases, provided the study’s researchers with a database of 3,800 mesothelioma cases from 1982 to present. That database included 500 patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, three of which were receiving treatment for Crohn’s — an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — at the time of the cancer diagnosis. The ages of the three patients in the study with peritoneal mesothelioma and CD...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news