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Is Mesothelioma Still A Big Problem Worldwide?

ByHolly Zink
Is Mesothelioma Still A Big Problem Worldwide?

Even though the number of people getting mesothelioma and dying from it has gone down in recent years, it is still a big problem in many parts of the world.

This is the finding of an international team of scientists. The authors of this study are from South Korea, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

These scientists wanted to find out how many people get mesothelioma and how many people die from it. They also wanted to know how it affects different groups of people based on things like age and where they live.

Harmful Use of Asbestos

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by asbestos, a harmful material that was used a lot after World War II. It develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many internal organs, like the lungs and abdominal cavity.

Even though many countries have banned the use of asbestos, many people still get sick with mesothelioma. This is because it takes a long time for the disease to show up and it is very aggressive.

In developing countries, the use of asbestos is increasing, which means more people might get sick in the future. We need to understand how big of a problem mesothelioma is around the world so we can try to prevent it.

Global Burden of Disease

In this study, the scientists used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study published in 2019. They found that the number of people getting mesothelioma and dying from it has gone down overall, but some countries still have a lot of cases.

Men are more likely to get mesothelioma than women, especially when they are older. Most cases of mesothelioma are caused by people being exposed to asbestos at work.

The scientists concluded that even though the number of people dying from mesothelioma has gone down in recent years, it is still a big problem in many parts of the world. They recommend working on preventing people from being exposed to asbestos so the number of people getting mesothelioma keeps going down.

Source

Han J, Park S, Yon DK, et al. Global, Regional, and National Burden of Mesothelioma 1990-2019: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 [published online ahead of print, 2023 Mar 1]. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2023;10.1513/AnnalsATS.202209-802OC. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.202209-802OC. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36857650/

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