Medical researchers in North Carolina have announced a new study to investigate the possibility of a genetic predisposition to the development of mesothelioma. The Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston Salem, NC and FirstHealth Carolinas, has undertaken research to better understand why only some individuals exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma.
Dr. Jill Ohar of Wake Forest University, the study’s principal investigator, has spent more than 20 years studying mesothelioma. Her previous work includes research into understanding why some people and families appear more susceptible to developing the disease and whether such susceptibility could be inherited.
“Over years of research, we have determined that there is a strong tendency for mesothelioma to run in families and it tends to be associated with a family history of cancer, which suggests a genetic susceptibility,” Ohar said in a prepared statement about the current study released by FirstHealth Carolinas.
Compared to other groups who were exposed to asbestos, Ohar’s previous research has found that individuals who developed mesothelioma shared certain traits, such as an increased risk of cancer among relatives, according to an article on the research in the March 2007 issue of the medical journal Respiratory Medicine.
Similarly, the current study examines associated environmental factors and genetic markers of individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma to determine the particular genetic factors that make some families more susceptible than others to mesothelioma and other forms of cancer.
Chris Miller, director of clinical trials at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, said the current study presented an exciting opportunity to increase understanding about the causes of mesothelioma.
“The FirstHealth Clinical Trials staff is excited about this opportunity to assist one of our state’s medical research institutions further the knowledge about this deadly disease and the factors that cause it,” Miller said.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas is a private, non-governmental, not-for-profit health care network serving 15 counties in the mid-Carolinas.
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