Mesothelioma in the United States. Incidence in the 1970's

Our plain-English summary of Mesothelioma in the United States. Incidence in the 1970's, by M.W. Hinds (Journal of Occupational Medicine., 1978).

The study

• Author: M.W. Hinds
• Journal: Journal of Occupational Medicine.
• Published: 1978;20(7):469-71
• Cited by: 34 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy (J-M no. 002125).

Abstract

Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm, the occurrence of which has been clearly related to asbestos exposure. Data recently collected by population based cancer registries in Washington, Hawaii, New Mexico, Connecticut, Michigan, Utah, Louisiana and Iowa were obtained for the determination of mesothelioma incidence rates. These registries represent a total population of over 16 million persons. Crude incidence rates were found to range from 3.0 to 7.1 per million per year. Age specific incidence rates showed a steady increase from the third through the eighth decade, with a more rapid increase for males than females. Sex specific incidence rates, age adjusted to the 1970 U.S. population, were found to range from 4.4 to 11.1 per million per year for males and from 1.2 to 3.8 per million per year for females. The highest rates for both males and females were found in the New Orleans area of Louisiana and the Puget Sound area of Washington state, both with significant shipbuilding activity.

In plain English

This study estimated mesothelioma incidence in parts of the United States in the 1970s. The author used case counts from eight cancer registries in the National Cancer Institute's SEER group (Puget Sound, New Orleans, Connecticut, New Mexico, Iowa, Detroit, Hawaii and Utah), covering over 16 million people. Population figures not supplied by registries were estimated from 1960 and 1970 census data. Registries reported 166 cases in men and 55 in women. Crude yearly rates ranged from 3.0 per million in Utah to 7.1 in Puget Sound. Age-adjusted rates were 4.4 to 11.1 per million for men and 1.2 to 3.8 for women. Every women's rate was below every men's rate. Rates rose with each decade of age. Puget Sound and New Orleans, both shipbuilding areas, had the highest rates for both sexes. In one Puget Sound county with a large naval shipyard, eight men were diagnosed in 1974-76, an age-adjusted rate of 40.4 per million men per year. Diagnoses were not independently reviewed, and small numbers made many rates unstable. The author suggested regional differences were probably largely explained by asbestos-exposed occupations.

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: Descriptive study of mesothelioma incidence using case data from population-based cancer registries in the National Cancer Institute's SEER group. Population figures were supplied by the registries or, when not supplied, estimated by extrapolating 1960 and 1970 census data.
• Who was studied: Residents of the areas served by eight US cancer registries: Puget Sound (Washington), New Orleans (Louisiana), Connecticut, New Mexico, Iowa, Detroit (Michigan), Hawaii and Utah. The combined population was over 16 million at the 1970 census. The registries reported 166 mesothelioma cases in men and 55 in women. Data periods varied by registry, from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.
• Exposure: Individual asbestos exposure was not measured, and no fiber types were studied. The study compared areas. The author noted shipbuilding activity in the highest-rate areas, including one Puget Sound county with a large naval shipyard.
• Main results:
  • Crude annual incidence rates ranged from 3.0 per million in Utah to 7.1 per million in the Puget Sound area.
  • Among men, age-adjusted annual rates ranged from 4.4 per million in Iowa to 11.1 per million in the Puget Sound area.
  • Among women, age-adjusted annual rates ranged from 1.2 per million in Connecticut to 3.8 per million in New Orleans. The highest rate for women was lower than the lowest rate for men.
  • In the combined registry population, incidence rose in each decade of life for both sexes. The ratio of men's to women's incidence was highest in the sixth decade, at 4.7 to 1.
  • Puget Sound and New Orleans had the highest age-adjusted rates for both men and women. The author described both areas as having substantial shipbuilding.
  • In one Puget Sound county containing a large naval shipyard, eight men were diagnosed with mesothelioma during 1974-76. This gave an age-adjusted annual rate of 40.4 per million men per year. One woman in that county was diagnosed in the same period.
  • The author applied the weighted rates to the 1970 US population, assuming the registry populations were representative. This gave an estimated 869 mesothelioma cases per year in the country.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that variations in mesothelioma incidence are probably largely explained by differences in how common asbestos-exposed occupations are. The author added that other sources, such as asbestos in water and air, also deserve study.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Cases were counted as diagnosed by hospital pathologists, and no review of the tissue diagnoses was carried out. The author noted that pathologic diagnosis of mesothelioma can be difficult.
  • In most registries, case numbers in specific sex and age groups were too small to give stable rates, so the author used weighted combined rates.
  • The national estimate of 869 cases per year rests on the assumption that the registry populations are representative of the US population.

Topics

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

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

Related studies

• Recent trends in mesothelioma incidence in the United States — R. Spirtas, G.W. Beebe, et al. (1986)
• Time trend of mesothelioma incidence in the United States and projection of future cases: an update based on SEER data for 1973 through 2005 — B. Price, A. Ware (2009)
• Mesothelioma incidence in 50 states and the District of Columbia, United States, 2003-2008 — S.J. Henley, T.C. Larson, et al. (2013)
• Lung Cancer Incidence in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties - United States, 2007-2016 — M.E. O'Neil, S.J. Henley, et al. (2019)
• Response to Letter to the Editor Regarding "Ambient Asbestos Fiber Concentrations and Long-Term Trends in Pleural Mesothelioma Incidence Between Urban and Rural Areas in the United States (1973-2012)" by Finkelstein — K.A. Keeton, M.E. Glynn, et al. (2018)
• Letter Concerning: Glynn ME, Keeton KA, Gaffney SH, Sahmel J. Ambient Asbestos Fiber Concentrations and Long-Term Trends in Pleural Mesothelioma Incidence Between Urban and Rural Areas in the United States (1973-2012). Risk Analysis 2018;38(3):454-471 — M.M. Finkelstein (2018)

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