Add to ORKGMalignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive neoplasm of serosal cavities, which is resistant to conventional therapy, with patient survival from presentation of <12 months. MM remains a universally fatal disease of increasing incidence worldwide. Although the main risk factor is asbestos exposure, other factors, Simian virus 40 infection and inheritance of susceptibility genes, likely play a role. Asbestos-related carcinogenic process is primarily based on the interaction between susceptibility (genetic and acquired) and exposure to carcinogenic environmental agents. Asbestos-induced carcinogenesis includes generation of reactive oxygen species, which induce DNA strand breaks and oxidant-induced base modifications to DNA. Persistent oxidat...