[breadcrumb]
Is There a Connection Between Mesothelioma and Melanoma?
Mesothelioma may potentially have a connection with the skin cancer known as melanoma. This connection seems to exist as a genetic predisposition — one where the risk of acquiring mesothelioma raises significantly in individuals with a history of asbestos exposure. However, mesothelioma is much rarer relative to melanoma, and there are limited case studies tracking a correlation to the two because of a lack of available data.
Melanoma refers to a type of skin cancer that affects the melanocyte cells in skin responsible for its pigmentation[1]. The most typical presentation of melanoma is that of an unusual mole or brown patch upon the skin[2].
Fair-skinned individuals have the highest risk of developing melanoma in their lifetime. A caucasian person is 20 times more likely to acquire melanoma compared to a brown or dark-skinned individual[3]. The risk of developing melanoma increases with prolonged, cumulative exposure to UV rays from the sun or from tanning lamps[4].
Mesothelioma refers to a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium tissues that line certain major internal organs[5]. This form of cancer is aggressive and typically deadly, with few patients surviving longer than five years from diagnosis[6].
Pleural mesothelioma, a type of mesothelioma that affects the lining found around the lungs, is the most common type of this cancer, comprising over 75% of cases[7]. Rarer forms of mesothelioma include peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the stomach’s mesothelium, and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the heart.
Compared to most cancers, mesothelioma has an extremely low incidence rate. An estimated 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the U.S. each year, and this number is likely decreasing[8]. The risk of acquiring mesothelioma does raise significantly within individuals who have been exposed to asbestos in the past, especially if the exposure was related to their work[9].
Melanoma, on the other hand, affects around 2.2% of the population[10]. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 192,310 new melanoma cases are projected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2019[11]. 96,480 of those cases will involve the more-concerning invasive form of malignancy.
Since mesothelioma is so rare, the number of cases where someone develops both mesothelioma and melanoma is extremely low. In a comprehensive case review of 3,900 mesothelioma patients published in 2018, just six had melanoma of the skin. However, three developed melanoma of the eye — another highly rare form of cancer[12]. This incidence rate was over four and a half times the expected value, meaning the correlation was statistically significant.
This connection was first established in a 2011 study that linked mutations in a certain gene (BAP1) to an increased risk of cancer development. A few families were identified with this particular genetic mutation, leading to a much higher-than-average incidence of cancers that included both mesothelioma and uveal melanoma, or melanoma of the eye[13]. The study also established that those with BAP1 mutations have a much higher relative risk of developing mesothelioma following asbestos exposure compared to an exposed population without the mutated gene.
A follow-up study conducted in 2017 also found connections between a higher risk of developing mesothelioma and other cancers, including both ocular melanoma and a rare form of melanoma that affects the nose[14]. Further studies have revealed similar connections between other rare genetic mutations[15].
In conclusion, certain families with a history of rare cancers or who have an established BAP1 genetic mutation may have a higher risk of developing either mesothelioma or ocular melanoma — and potentially even both. Outside of this limited patient pool, the incidence rate of developing both mesothelioma and melanoma is extremely low.
[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/melanoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20374884
[2] https://medlineplus.gov/melanoma.html
[3] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
[4] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/what-causes.html
[5] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mesothelioma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375022
[6] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/malignant-mesothelioma/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-statistics.html
[7] https://www.webmd.com/cancer/types-of-mesothelioma#1
[8] https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/mesothelioma/statistics
[9] https://thorax.bmj.com/content/69/9/843
[10] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer.html
[11] https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts
[12] https://www.archivesofpathology.org/doi/pdf/10.5858/arpa.2017-0307-OA
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184199/
[14] https://www.nature.com/articles/srep42601
[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27181379
