‘Environmental factors’ likely contributed to Melbourne couple’s myeloma diagnosis

A Melbourne husband and wife diagnosed with the same rare blood cancer had renovated several homes together – could that have contributed to their health battles?

Melbourne mum Marlo McCarthy revealed in the Herald Sun on Monday that she has been diagnosed with the same rare blood cancer that claimed the life of her husband Tony Walshe when he was just 44.

Shockingly, they are one of the few young couples in the world to have been diagnosed with myeloma, which has the lowest survival rate of all blood cancers.

Marlo McCarthy said telling her sons George and Freddie she had the same rare cancer that claimed their father was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. Picture: Jason Edwards

Before their illness, the couple had renovated three houses in Melbourne and Ms McCarthy, 51, wonders now if this could have contributed to them developing a similar aggressive form of myeloma.

“The explanation for us was that we have been exposed to some sort of environmental factor that may have contributed,” Ms McCarthy said.

In the past financial year Victorians spent near-record amounts renovating their homes.

Housing Industry Association analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows more than $3.902bn for works with permits were approved.

Victorians love to renovate: in the last financial year more than $3.902bn for works with permits were approved. Image: Supplied.

The most popular “reno” projects remain kitchens and bathrooms, but these are the very rooms that may hold the biggest health threats, especially in older homes.

A study by Seattle Children’s Research Institute now also warns of additional risks to pregnant women and young children.

It says parents planning a home renovation or remodel need to be aware that the walls they plan to tear down could contain hidden dangers that can hurt unborn babies and children.

It was led by a pediatric environmental health expert Dr Sheela Sathyanarayana who said people working on older homes should take extra precautions if they are pregnant or have children.

“Home renovations can bring out things like dust, mould and fumes that are harmful,” Dr Sathyanarayana said.

Marlo McCarthy and husband Tony Walshe on their wedding day. Picture: Supplied

Australian government health department websites also warn people about to take on a do-it-yourself project in the home to know the products and materials they are working on and to take precautions seriously.

“For any work that will create dust you should, at the very least, wear a proper face mask or respirator,” the Government of Western Australia’s website warns.

There are also potentially long-term health impacts to exposure.

US studies have reported a two-fold increased risk of myeloma in first responders and those who helped clear the World Trade Centre after the 9/11 attacks.

Dr Ola Landgren is the American professor of medicine who led the two large myeloma studies in 2018 and 2022 that were published in Nature’s Blood Cancer Journal.

“The findings provide mounting evidence that environmental exposures – and exposure to the World Trade Centre disaster in general – are risk factors for the initiation of multiple myeloma,” he said.

Dr Landgren started the investigations when, as chief of the myeloma program at the University of Miami, he saw an increase in patients who had been exposed to the WTC after the attack.

Mrs McCarthy said there were hidden risks in many houses in Victoria, in particular those built during the 1950s and 1960s.

Marlo McCarthy and the late Tony Walshe with their sons Freddie, now 17, and George, now 16. Picture: Supplied

“Many home renovations see people removing old lath and plaster from walls that can have asbestos,” she said.

“Asbestos can also be found in really old chip boards and bathroom tiles. It is a real worry.”

An Australian-first study has also uncovered an “irreversible” link between engineered stone benchtops and a line-up of potentially fatal diseases — prompting a major warning to tradies who have been exposed.

The Monash University-led study found people working with fake stone benchtops also had a greater risk of developing auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

The study of 1200 Victorians who had worked in the industry found them to be two and a half times more likely to have biomarkers for auto-immune diseases.

Monash professor Karen Walker-Bone, who led the study, said this data suggests that, as well as screening for silicosis in these workers, they should also be screened for auto-immune disease.

So, what are the hidden health risks lurking in our homes? This Department of Health website says they include:

Lead dust and paint chips, found in paints before 1970, are a risk when lead is absorbed into the body.

Dust

Some dusts and fibres can be dangerous if they contain asbestos, respirable crystalline silica, lead, formaldehyde or mould.

Very fine dust and fibres can also be breathed deep into lungs and cause breathing problems.

Paint

Lead dust and paint chips, found in paints before 1970. When lead is absorbed into the body it can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs including the kidneys, nerves, and blood.

Wood dust and formaldehyde

Both natural wood and composite wood products generate fine dust when cut or sanded. The glue, or resin, that is used in composite wood products contains formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is also a naturally occurring chemical in wood.

Man-made fibres

These are often found in insulation materials. Over time this can break down and deteriorate. The risk is more that it can irritate eyes, skin and the throat.