Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a most lethal cancer. It has unusual characteristics. The more I look at it the more I am convinced it does not behave like a true solid tissue cancer.
Serosal membranes very rarely become malignant except with Mesothelioma.
It is not asbestos fiber dose dependent.
It is not cigarette smoking dose related.
Probably occurs only in cases where there was prior evidence of a pleurisy (benign) usually with evidence of pleural thickening.
Latency is different (usually longer) than any other known malignancy.
275 day median survival is more in keeping with an uncontrollable infection (all be it a malignant one) than a solid tumor growth pattern.
Simian 40 virus DNA parts have been found in mesothelioma specimens.
Rarely if ever found as a distant metastasis (e.g. brain or liver spread).
I believe it is a viral infection gone malignant e.g. HIV type malignant behavior so that it looks more like asbestos fiber activation of a common virus infection in turn causing a variety of clinical conditions. Many of these clinical conditions can be quite innocuous. In benign pleural effusions we dont find a pleural cavity full of asbestos needles It would appear we havent been culturing for the right agent.
If Mesothelioma is a rogue viral infection - then there is the possibility of developing a vaccine and offering vaccination to asbestos exposed people who are at heightened risk of developing future asbestos related malignancies.
Q: Is asbestos a co-carcinogen to a viral infection?
A: Needs to be studied…