A small study just confirmed that several patients who had in-dwelling shunts suffered from a rare form of mesothelioma. While the study cannot definitively provide a cause and effect basis for the development of the rare peritoneal mesothelioma, it does provide grounds to study the connection further.
About the Study
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona assessed risk factors for seven patients who had the rare peritoneal mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure is the primary risk factor for mesothelioma, but the lead researcher of the study says that only 50 to 70% of people who develop this condition report asbestos exposure. Additionally, other factors such as chronic irritation of membranes, chronic inflammation or radiation can play a part in the development of mesothelioma.
The patients were all young adults and six of them had long-standing in-dwelling ventriculoperitoneal shunts that were used to relieve pressure from the brain or other organs. The other patient had a porto-atrial shunt implanted in order to drain ascites.
Study Findings
The study found that six out of seven of the patients had no association with asbestos contact or radiation. Instead, researchers found that these patients had little else in common besides their use of in-dwelling shunt catheters. The patients had the catheters placed for an average of 21 years. One patient had the shunt for 35 years before developing mesothelioma
Other similarities between the patients include:
- They all experienced abdominal swelling
- They underwent imaging
- Each of them had a biopsy taken that showed the same tumor
- All had biomarkers indicative of peritoneal mesothelioma
Possible Connection
Because the number of patients involved in the study was so low, researchers cannot state definitively that irritation from the shunts were the cause of the mesothelioma. However, they want healthcare providers to be aware that the development of peritoneal mesothelioma may be an unexpected side effect of using the shunts.
Furthermore, the researchers note that chronic irritation or inflammation has been linked to cancer in the past. Researchers believe that the study indicates a novel association between the shunts and the rare form of mesothelioma. They hope that if patients who have a shunt in place start to develop symptoms that they consider peritoneal mesothelioma as a possible explanation.
