Rizzo P, Bocchetta M, Powers A, Foddis R, Stekala E, Pass H I, Carbone M
Cancer Immunology Program, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
Semin Cancer Biol. 2001 Feb;11(1):63-71. doi: 10.1006/scbi.2000.0347.
Malignant mesothelioma, a tumor of the pleura, pericardium, and peritoneum, is presently a worldwide problem. Current therapy is ineffective in slowing the course of the disease, and median survival from the time of diagnosis is rarely greater than 1 year. While the tumor was almost unknown prior to the second half of the twentieth century, it is presently responsible for more than 2000 deaths per year in the US alone. Mesothelioma is frequently associated with exposure to asbestos, but the incidence of cases involving individuals with low levels of asbestos exposure is increasing. For this reason, there has been much interest in studying whether there are alternative factors that act alone or in conjunction with asbestos in producing this malignancy. In the last decade, simian virus 40 (SV40) has become the most notable suspected agent.
恶性间皮瘤是一种发生于胸膜、心包膜和腹膜的肿瘤，目前是一个全球性问题。当前的治疗方法在减缓疾病进程方面效果不佳，从诊断之时起的中位生存期很少超过1年。尽管该肿瘤在20世纪下半叶之前几乎无人知晓，但目前仅在美国每年就导致超过2000人死亡。间皮瘤常与接触石棉有关，但石棉接触水平较低的个体所患病例的发病率正在上升。因此，人们对研究是否存在单独作用或与石棉共同作用导致这种恶性肿瘤的其他因素产生了浓厚兴趣。在过去十年中，猿猴病毒40（SV40）已成为最值得注意的可疑因素。
