Does the risk of getting cancer from asbestos exposure run in the family? According to a Italian researchers, genetics may play a role in who develops lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related cancers.

In a study last month by researchers from the Sapienza University and the Lazio Regional Health Service in Rome, researchers revealed that familial cases accounted for about 3.4% of all cases of mesothelioma.

“The results suggested potential genetic recessive effects in mesothelioma that interact with asbestos exposure, but it is not possible to estimate the specific proportion attributable to each of these components,” the researchers said.

Mesothelioma is known to be caused by asbestos exposure. Often confused with a form of lung cancer, mesothelioma is actually a cancer of the organ linings, but often presents in the lining of lung organs. However, if it enters the bloodstream, it can spread to virtually any part of the body.

Asbestos was first “discovered” as a natural insulator in the 1930s by a firefighter in New York. This was well before the asbestos risks were known, and it was a flame retardant and very effective form of insulation. Soon it began being used for other things, too. It was sold widely as faux snow during the winter holidays and used liberally during the golden era of Hollywood to mimic snow in films. Some exposure to asbestos is relatively safe; the majority of people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos day in and day out, often in a work environment.

The Italian researchers found that there appears to be a genetic factor associated with the risk of developing mesothelioma after asbestos exposure. The study, published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, looked at 997 cases of individuals who received mesothelioma diagnosis over a 32-year period from data provided by the Italian National Mesothelioma Register network. The result showed 13 clusters and 34 cases with familial risks, with the most common clusters among those that affected siblings and not parents. Asbestos exposure among the study subjects was occupational, household, and environmental.

Although asbestos has been banned already for more than 30 years, new cases of mesothelioma cancer are still being diagnosed which is in line with previous reports by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that cases of mesothelioma are just now peaking.

There has been ongoing mesothelioma litigation for several decades, and over 600,000 people have filed asbestos lawsuits, asbestos class action lawsuits, and mesothelioma class action lawsuits during this time. In total, there have been over 6,000 defendants named.