Demographic Research Researchers can study demographic details on the incidence of mesothelioma to assist determine genetic predispositions to the disease and to comprehend more how asbestos causes it. Erionite in Cappadocia There are many small villages throughout Cappadocia, Turkey which have relied on the naturally occurring mineral called erionite to construct their homes. The mineral is structurally much like asbestos and also has recently been found to cause mesothelioma. The prevalence of the mineral in Cappadocia is liable for the overwhelming cases of mesothelioma inside the region. Mesothelioma was liable for over 50 percent of deaths in three villages in Cappadocia. Nearly a quarter of all Turkey’s new cases of mesothelioma come coming from the region. Epidemiological research has proven a fruitful venture inside the case of Cappadocia. Mesothelioma specialist Dr. Michele Carbone found a common factor among those developing mesothelioma inside the region—a genetic mutation inside the BAP1 gene. It was discovered by observing a better incidence of mesothelioma among some families. The hunch that there could possibly be a genetic relationship towards the disease was validated.