First Of Its Kind Mesothelioma Study Says SV40, Asbestos Play Cocarcinogenic Role

icIendicn a development that could impact one of the nation's biggest litigation arenas, medical researchers have presented ground-breaking cellular evidence that asbestos is not the only carcinogen playing a role in the development of mesothelioma.

photo-1The findings were published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences as part of a study by cancer specialists who have determined that exposure to simian virus 40 (SV40) cooperates with exposure to asbestos fibers to cause malignant transformation of human mesothelioma cells.

Mesothelioma, an increasingly common cancer found primarily in the exterior lining of the lungs, kills nearly 3,000 Americans each …