Malignant mesothelioma is of special interest because of its known induction by exposure to asbestos. To study this rare tumor in childhood, review was made of 42,597 death certificates for children who died of cancer in the United States, 1960–1968; 31 had a diagnosis of mesothelioma. Of these, 13 were confirmed by data from hospital records; the remainder had either been erroneously recorded or were unavailable for review. The illness characteristically presented with acute pleural effusion and encasement of the lung by tumor, with survival usually of less than 6 months. The case histories had no information on environmental exposures. To determine if the etiology of the neoplasm in childhood is similar to that in later life, better environmental histories must be obtained by alert practitioners.

Six families are presented with multiple cases of ovarian cancer, mainly serous cystadenocarcinoma. Three families had concomitant aggregation of breast cancer, suggesting genetic determinants common to both tumors. The exceptional cancer risk in these families prompted prophylactic oophorectomy in 14 asymptomatic women from four families. Review of the original microscopic sections from 8 women revealed that 3, representing two families, had abnormalities of ovarian surface epithelium and mesothelial tissue, which may be of etiologic significance and portend neoplastic changes. To enable early detection and prevention of ovarian cancer, new diagnostic techniques and etiologic studies should be applied whenever possible to high-risk families.

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