Global mesothelioma epidemic: Trend and features

Our plain-English summary of Global mesothelioma epidemic: Trend and features, by C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi (Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2014).

The study

• Authors: C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi
• Journal: Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Published: 2014;18(2):82-8
• Cited by: 75 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Mesothelioma incidence has taken epidemic proportions in various countries. The trend of the epidemic remains undefined.

Objective: To collect the most recent available data on mesothelioma incidence in order to determine the present trend of the epidemic.

Materials And Methods: Data of the Cancer and Mesothelioma Registries have been reviewed. In addition, numerous researchers were contacted to obtain supplementary information.

Results: The highest incidence rates are reported from some countries in Europe (United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Malta, Belgium), and in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand). Relatively low incidence/mortality rates are reported from Japan and from Central Europe. In many countries a trend to increase continues to be observed. Data are not available for the mostly populous countries.

Conclusion: Mesothelioma epidemic does not show signs of attenuation. The lack of data for a large majority of the world does not allow that the consciousness of the risks related to asbestos exposure is reached.

In plain English

This article reviewed recent mesothelioma incidence and mortality data from national cancer and mesothelioma registries, some supplied by researchers. The authors grouped countries by incidence. The highest age-standardized rates were reported from the UK, The Netherlands, Malta, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. In the UK, rates in 2000-2011, standardized to the world population, were 3.3-3.6 per 100,000 among men and 0.5-0.7 among women. Much of Europe and the United States had intermediate rates. In the United States, the mean 2003-2008 rate, standardized to the US population instead, was 1.93 per 100,000 among men and 0.41 among women. Lower rates were reported from Central Europe, Ireland, Spain and several Asian countries. In Japan, mesothelioma deaths rose from 500 in 1995 to 1,400 in 2012. Data were unavailable for very large countries such as Brazil, Russia, Pakistan and Indonesia. The authors noted that difficult diagnosis, declining autopsies and patients' advanced age probably led to underestimation. They concluded that in many countries the epidemic showed no signs of attenuation. Based on global asbestos consumption, they predicted a further wave in areas lacking 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: Review of registry and published data on mesothelioma incidence and mortality by country, supplemented by information obtained from researchers
• Who was studied: National and regional registry data on mesothelioma cases, rates and deaths from countries in Europe, Oceania, North America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, covering various periods from 1943 to 2012. Men and women were reported separately where available.
• Exposure: Asbestos exposure in general. Mesothelioma was treated as a sentinel indicator of asbestos exposure. No fiber types or doses were analysed. High-incidence local clusters were linked to asbestos mines, shipyards and asbestos-cement factories.
• Main results:
  • UK: incidence rates age-standardized to the world population were 3.3-3.6 per 100,000 among men and 0.5-0.7 among women in 2000-2011. Annual mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain rose from 153 in 1968 to 2,360 in 2010.
  • Australia: age-standardized (world) incidence rates in 2011 were 3.2 per 100,000 among men and 0.7 among women. Annual cases rose from 156 in 1982 to 666 in 2009.
  • The Netherlands, 2011: age-standardized (world) rates were 2.85 per 100,000 among men and 0.35 among women.
  • Italy, 2008: rates age-standardized to the Italian population among men were 3.55 per 100,000 for pleural mesothelioma and 0.24 for peritoneal mesothelioma. Among women the rates were 1.35 and 0.12.
  • United States, 2003-2008: the mean rate age-standardized to the US population was 1.93 per 100,000 among men and 0.41 among women.
  • Japan: mesothelioma deaths increased from 500 in 1995 to 1,400 in 2012, mainly among men.
  • India: population-based cancer registries covered 7.45% of the population. Mesothelioma cases were reported in only four registries, with rates of 0.05-0.08 per 100,000 among men.
  • Data were not available for very large countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Russia.
  • Within Italy, mortality from pleural cancer among men in 1988-1997 differed up to 40-fold from one province to another.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that in many countries mesothelioma incidence shows no signs of attenuation. Based on global asbestos consumption, they predicted a further wave in large areas for which data are currently unavailable. They called for international health institutions to address the problem more forcefully.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Data on mesothelioma incidence and mortality are lacking for most of the world's population.
  • National rates can be misleading because they hide high rates in small local areas.
  • Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose, and the decline in autopsies reduces confirmation of diagnoses.
  • The highest rates occur in elderly patients, who undergo fewer examinations, which reduces diagnostic reliability.
  • The authors considered it probable that these difficulties led to underestimation of mesothelioma incidence.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Incidence, Asbestos Exposure.

Related studies

• Global trends in mortality from malignant mesothelioma: Analysis of WHO mortality database (1994-2013) — O. Abdel-Rahman (2018)
• Evolving trends in lung cancer risk factors in the ten most populous countries: an analysis of data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study — C.T. Jani, S.A. Kareff, et al. (2025)
• Assessing the global burden of mesothelioma: trends, socioeconomic influences, and asbestos exposure - a retrospective cohort study — Z. Zhao, J. Li, et al. (2025)
• Investigation of the trends and associated factors of ovarian cancer in Indonesia: A systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease study 1990-2021 — B.A. Tjokroprawiro, K. Novitasari, et al. (2025)
• Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program 1990-1999: demographic features and trends in abnormal radiographic findings — D.M. Dell, B.K. Bohnker, et al. (2006)
• Malignant mesothelioma: global incidence and relationship with asbestos — C. Bianchi, T. Bianchi (2007)

Browse more research in Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, or return to medical research.