Mesothelioma health is expected to remain a significant concern to the medical community until the year 2020, when the occurrences of mesothelioma cases worldwide are expected to peak and begin to decline. In the 1970’s, global organizations officially recognized the undeniable link between asbestos fiber consumption and a rising prevalence of malignant mesothelioma cases. By the early 1980’s mesothelioma health concerns were addressed when most national agencies began to take serious measures to either completely ban the mining and manufacturing of asbestos minerals or significantly restrict access to the carcinogen. According to the World Health Organization, mesothelioma is the third leading killer among occupational related cancers, globally.
The World Health Organization released the newest mesothelioma health statistics in 2008, revealing an overall increase in new mesothelioma cases around the globe; supporting the theories of medical experts about a super-extended latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma health experts are still seeking answers to the most basic questions about the disease, however. Doctors and scientists still do not understand why asbestos fibers cause cancer nor do they know of a targeted treatment to effectively treat this unique type of cancer.
Mesothelioma Health and Morbidity Incidences
The World Health Organization began keeping records of mesothelioma related deaths in 1994 and has since published their total mortality rates and information from their member states across the globe. Their records indicate some interesting and significant information about the development of this cancer and signify a trend for increasing concern among mesothelioma health officials.
- Between 1994 and 2008, the member states reported 92,253 deaths caused by mesothelioma. Over half of them occurred in Europe and the United States reported the most deaths in a single country.
- The average median age at the time of death caused by mesothelioma is 70 years old.
- Mesothelioma health is an issue in men more than women, probably because men occupied asbestos related job more than women, historically.
Mesothelioma Health and Death by Type
The mesothelioma health report also reflected a known statistic about mesothelioma diagnosis; nearly 75% of all mesothelioma cases are malignant pleural mesothelioma. The report shows the following morbidity rates for each type of mesothelioma.
- Pleural malignant mesothelioma, 41.3% of mesothelioma deaths
- Peritoneal malignant mesothelioma, 4.5% of mesothelioma deaths
- Pericardial malignant mesothelioma, 0.03% of mesothelioma deaths
- Unspecified location of malignant mesothelioma, 43.1% of mesothelioma deaths
Mesothelioma Health and Death by Nation
According to the report, more than 75% of mesothelioma health related deaths were reported after 2000. This is likely due to the extended latency period of malignant mesothelioma. Most deaths were reported in higher-income countries (88% of deaths) and middle-income countries (12% of deaths), where profitable asbestos mining industries are still operated. Other statistics reported by the World Health Organization included:
- The majority of all deaths caused by malignant mesothelioma are reported in only a few countries.
- 45.2% of all mesothelioma deaths occurred in the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and Ireland.
- 81% of the deaths reported took place in the top ten countries that were cited for the highest mesothelioma health related morbidity rates.
It is suspected that regions such as the United Kingdom have the highest rates of new mesothelioma cases largely because they were slow to respond to global pleas to ban the mineral. Many countries still mine and manufacture asbestos so mesothelioma health will continue to be a global issue.
Mesothelioma Health Studies
Mesothelioma health continues to be an important research topic for specialists across the medical community. In the United States, several major university hospitals have launched comprehensive programs dedicated to the treatment of cancers to include malignant mesothelioma type cancers. Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital is one such institution hoping to pioneer a cure for mesothelioma. Dr. Sugarbaker, a renowned thoracic surgeon and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the hospital has gained much recognition for his experimental treatments using direct chemotherapy washing of the body cavity immediately following a resection surgery. The Brigham and Women’s Hospital also hosts a large, coordinated research program intent on finding the most effective treatment and hopes to find a cure.
Although research into mesothelioma health has progressed in recent years, much is still unknown about the disease. Historically, asbestos related illness may date back to the ancient Greek’s who noted lung distress illnesses in workers who unearthed the asbestos mineral; an element believed to have magical powers and properties. More recently in history, asbestos was linked to lung disease and became a cause for concern as late as the 1800’s. Since then, mesothelioma health concerns came into existence through a process of accidental correlations and intentional research into the health effects of asbestos.
| Early Mesothelioma Health Discoveries |
|---|
| Year | Event |
| 1899 | Asbestosis termed and reported for the first time. |
| 1906 | Asbestos is connected to lung cancer. |
| 1908 | First description of peritoneal mesothelioma by Miller and Winn. |
| 1924 | British medical experts report on asbestosis. |
| 1930 | Asbestos exposure rates are linked to lung diseases. |
| 1930 | Latency period first discussed |
| 1933 | First time a US insulation laborer was documented with asbestosis. |
| 1933 | Donnelly pointed out lack of protection against asbestos fiber inhalation\exposure. |
| 1935 | A Pennsylvania doctor correlated asbestos dust (specifically) to lung disease. |
| 1935 | First documented case of lung cancer in correlation with asbestosis in the US. |
| 1941 | First case of compensation for asbestos related disease; awarded to a German shipyard worker. |
| 1942 | First known declaration that asbestosis and lung cancer are compensable diseases due to occupational exposure to carcinogens; Germany. |
| 1943 | The first case of pleural mesothelioma was documented by Welder. |
| 1946 | United States Navy shipyards recognized elevate levels of asbestos dust during manufacturing processes and the likelihood of asbestos related diseases. |
| 1947 | Thirty one of every one 125 asbestosis deaths are discovered to have lung cancer during autopsy, making this a probable point of statistically identifiable mesothelioma health connection in history. (Merewether) |
| 1955 | Doll reported that nearly 10% of asbestos textile laborers with more than twenty years of exposure died of lung cancer |
| 1958 | First Dutch case of pleural mesothelioma in an insulation occupation |
As indicated in the table above, occupational exposure is the leading cause for mesothelioma health concerns. Shipyard workers and those who spend a great deal of time on ships are now known to be the working group that is most likely to succumb to malignant mesothelioma. Though other occupational hazards exist throughout the world, mesothelioma health officials are especially concerned about laborers in countries that are still using this carcinogenic mineral for insulation, concrete mixtures, and especially in the shipping industry.
Mesothelioma Health in the Future
Only time will tell if the expected decline following the peak in 2020 will actually happen. With some countries still producing asbestos related products, the world could see resurgence or plateau in the trends of this deadly cancer. Though very rare at the current time, mesothelioma cancer could significantly rise as new, aggregated cases of the disease are published.
Increases in case documentation and advances in cancer diagnostic procedures mean that more cases may be accurately diagnosed; something that will continue to add to the base numbers found in the statistics about the disease. Over all, mesothelioma health experts are warning the world-wide asbestos industry that the benefits are not worth the risk to human health.
One doesn’t need to be in a ship yard or at a site of asbestos manufacturing to develop mesothelioma. Length of exposure also plays a part in the development of the cancer, so mesothelioma health concerns should also be considered among populations living near a mine, a shipyard using the mineral, or living in close quarters with someone that may carry the dust home.
