Mesothelioma in Cappadocian villages

Volcanic tuffs in the Cappadocian region of Turkey have weathered into a dramatic landscape. The soft rock of which they are composed is easily quarried and excavated and has long provided both caves and building material for homes. Studying the complex geology of Cappadocia has shown the presence of zeolitic rocks in some areas which contain respirable fibres of the zeolite group mineral erionite. In 1975, a high incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) was observed in several villages of this region. MPM is a quickly progressing lethal disease with very poor prognosis. Clinical and experimental studies suggested that the disease was linked to the erionite mineral. Extensive studies have since confirmed that it is the erionite, rather than any of the asbestos types known to cause MPM, that is the major cause of this epidemic in the study area. In addition to the three erionite villages of Cappadocia (Tuzkoy, Karain and Sanhidir), the list has now been extended to include the villages of Karacaoren, Boyali, Cokek and Yesiloz. The high potential of erionite to induce MPM has now received further confirmation from both epidemiological and other recent experimental work.