Where There Is Asbestos, There Is Mesothelioma: Filling in the Data Blanks

Abstract

Vol. 119, No. 4 NewsOpen AccessWhere There Is Asbestos, There Is Mesothelioma: Filling in the Data Blanks Rebecca Clay Haynes Rebecca Clay Haynes Search for more papers by this author Published:1 April 2011https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.119-a177bAboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit Malignant mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos, and countries that have used asbestos nearly always have cases of mesothelioma. Tracking the disease has proved difficult, however, because not all developing countries that use asbestos collect mesothelioma incidence data. In a new global estimate of unreported mesothelioma, researchers predict that at least one case of disease goes unreported for every four to five known cases worldwide [EHP119(4):514–518; Park et al.].The authors compared cumulative asbestos use from the U.S. Geological Study with disease cases reported to the World Health Organization. Because symptoms of mesothelioma often appear decades after exposure, the authors examined the relationship between the 15-year cumulative number of reported mesothelioma cases during 1994–2008 and cumulative asbestos use during 1920–1970 among countries with data on both mesothelioma and asbestos use. The resulting relationship helped them predict the number of unreported mesothelioma cases in countries providing information on asbestos use but not on mesothelioma.The authors found that cumulative asbestos use in 89 countries totaled more than 65 million metric tons during 1920–1970. Of the 56 countries also reporting mesothelioma data, there were more than 174,000 estimated cases and 92,000 reported deaths during 1994–2008 (most mesothelioma patients succumb to the disease shortly after diagnosis, so numbers of new cases are very similar to numbers of deaths from the disease). When extrapolating these data to the 33 countries not reporting mesothelioma, the authors estimated an additional 39,000 cases would have occurred during that same 15-year period.This estimate is conservative, say the authors, and they warn that because asbestos has a long industrial life span, and its use has quintupled since 1970, many countries should anticipate a higher disease burden in the years to come. The new study does not account for this 40-year increase.The authors propose that developed countries share their experience and technology to help developing countries better diagnose, report, and manage cases of mesothelioma. They also argue that all countries should move toward a complete ban on asbestos—although the long latency period means mesothelioma deaths would continue for decades, the disease would eventually disappear as asbestos use is phased out and exposure is eventually eliminated.An asbestos factory in Ipubi, Pernambuco, Brazil, date unknown. Brazil has now banned asbestos production in this state, but mesothelioma’s long latency period means cases will continue to emerge for decades.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 119, No. 4 April 2011Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 April 2011Published in print1 April 2011 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.