Epidemiology of pleural mesothelioma in Italy

Our plain-English summary of Epidemiology of pleural mesothelioma in Italy, by R. Filiberti, F. Montanaro (Lung Cancer, 2004).

The study

• Authors: R. Filiberti, F. Montanaro
• Journal: Lung Cancer
• Published: 2004;45 Suppl 1:S25-7
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in Italy is increasing and is assumed to be a consequence of high levels of asbestos exposure. Establishment of the National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM) and the co-operation of five regional centers has allowed the estimation of the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in major parts of Italy and the definition of exposure to asbestos.

In plain English

This short article was a review, not a new study. The authors summarized Italian data on pleural malignant mesothelioma from cancer registries covering around 15% of the population, national death statistics, and the National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM), set up in 1993. Among men, cited age-standardized incidence rates (world population) ranged from 0.2 per 100,000 in Latina to 9.8 in La Spezia. In 1994 Italy recorded 998 mesothelioma deaths (654 men, 344 women). Standardized death rates (world population) for 1990-1994 were 1.3 per 100,000 men and 0.5 per 100,000 women, peaking in the North. Of ReNaM cases, 66% were reported as due to occupational exposure and about 15% to environmental, domestic or hobby exposure. A cited estimate projected about 940 deaths per year in 2015-2019. Pooled registry data gave a median relative survival of 12 months. The authors stated the rising incidence is assumed to result from high asbestos exposure. They also described their own biological bank project, saying interesting results were being obtained on the growth factor PDGF and on micronuclei as possible susceptibility markers, but gave no detailed data.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Brief narrative review of existing Italian cancer registry, mortality and mesothelioma registry data, with a description of the authors' own biological bank project
• Who was studied: Pleural malignant mesothelioma cases and deaths in Italy, drawn from Italian cancer registries (around 15% of the population), national death statistics for 1990-1994, and the National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM), established in 1993 with five regional centers (Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Puglia)
• Exposure: Past asbestos exposure, chiefly at work in shipbuilding, asbestos cement production and other occupations, with an annual asbestos output in the 1980s of 100,000 to 130,000 tonnes; no fiber types are named
• Main results:
  • Cited age-standardized incidence rates for men (world standard population, per 100,000) ranged from 0.2 in Latina to 5.9 in Genoa, 6.3 in Trieste and 9.8 in La Spezia
  • National statistics recorded 998 mesothelioma deaths in Italy in 1994 (654 men and 344 women). Standardized death rates (world standard population) for 1990-1994 were 1.3 per 100,000 for men and 0.5 per 100,000 for women.
  • Pleural tumor death rates for 1990-1994 peaked in the Northern regions of Italy
  • Of ReNaM cases, 66% were reported as proved to be due to occupational exposure, and about 15% were linked to environmental, domestic or hobby-related exposure
  • A cited estimate by Peto and colleagues projected about 940 mesothelioma deaths per year in Italy between 2015 and 2019, with the rise expected particularly among men born between 1946 and 1955
  • A cited pooled analysis of Italian registries estimated median relative survival at 12 months. Survival was 32% at 1 year, 10% at 3 years and 4% at 5 years, and had not substantially changed in the previous 20 years.
  • For their own biological bank project, the authors said interesting results were being obtained on growth factors (PDGF) and micronuclei as a possible index of individual susceptibility to pleural malignant mesothelioma. They gave no detailed data.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors stated that the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Italy is increasing and is assumed to be a consequence of high levels of asbestos exposure

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Epidemiology, Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Mesothelioma, Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma.

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• Asbestos Exposures, Mesothelioma Incidence and Mortality, and Awareness by General Practitioners in the Molise Region, Central Italy — G. Ripabelli, M. Tamburro, et al. (2018)
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