Read article Mesothelioma Key Facts
Key messages on incidence, mortality, risk factors (causes) and a summary table of the statistics for mesothelioma are given here.
More comprehensive information and statistics for mesothelioma is here: incidence.
- Download these Key Facts Mesothelioma Key Facts
The latest statistics available for mesothelioma cancer are; incidence 2010 and mortality 2010. Source years are specified in the statistics table. Find out why these are the latest statistics available.
- Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that cover many of our internal body organs. There are two main types - pleural mesothelioma in the chest and peritoneal mesothelioma in the abdomen.
section updated 22/02/12
- Mesothelioma accounts for fewer than 1% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK.
- In the UK in 2010, around 2,500 people were diagnosed with mesothelioma, that's around 7 every day.
- Mesothelioma is around five times more common in men than in women. In 2010 there were around 2,100 cases in men and around 430 in women.
- Around 9 in 10 mesothelioma cases occur in people aged 60 and over.
- Mesothelioma incidence rates have increased almost four-fold since the early 1980s.
Read more in-depth mesothelioma incidence statistics.
section reviewed 14/01/13
section updated 14/01/13
- Almost 2,300 people died from mesothelioma in the UK in 2010.
- More than 8 in 10 mesothelioma deaths in the UK occur in men.
- Mesothelioma death rates in the UK have increased by a fifth in women in the last five years, but have remained fairly stable in men.
- Due to changing patterns of asbestos exposure, the number of mesothelioma deaths is expected to peak in 2016 and decline rapidly thereafter.
section updated 02/07/12
- Most cases of mesothelioma are caused by past occupational exposure to asbestos.
- Asbestos is an insulating material that was widely used in many industries in the UK from the 1950s up until the mid-1980s, including construction and shipbuilding and where asbestos lagging was fitted or asbestos board was sawn.
- The use of blue and brown asbestos was banned in the UK in 1985. A complete ban on the use of asbestos products was introduced when white asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999. But workers in some occupations may still come in to contact with asbestos-containing materials installed before these dates and regulations apply.
- Mesothelioma symptoms may not appear for more than fifty years after exposure to asbestos.
section updated 30/11/11
| Mesothelioma - UK | Males | Females | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases (UK 2010) | 2,111 | 432 | 2,543 |
| Incidence rate per 100,000 population* | 5.1 | 0.9 | 2.8 |
| Number of deaths (UK 2010) | 1,896 | 389 | 2,285 |
| Mortality rate per 100,000 population* | 4.6 | 0.8 | 2.5 |
*age-standardised to the European population
More detailed mesothelioma statistics can be found using this link: incidence.
section reviewed 14/01/13
section updated 14/01/13
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