Global Magnitude and Temporal Trend of Mesothelioma Burden Along with the Contribution of Occupational Asbestos Exposure in 204 Countries and Territories From 1990 to 2019: Results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Abstract

Background Understanding the annual incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for mesothelioma globally provides essential foundations for cancer control, policy decisions and resource allocation. Materials and methods Complying with the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we extracted the data of incidences, deaths and DALYs in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Average annual percentage changes were used to quantify the temporal trends in mesothelioma burden. Besides, the population attributable fractions of the risk factor of mesothelioma were also estimated. Results Globally, 34511 (95% uncertainty intervals[UI]: 31199, 37771) incident cases, 29251 (95%UI: 26668, 31006) deaths and 668104 (95%UI: 608269, 716475) DALYs of mesothelioma were estimated in 2019. The age-standardized rates of incidence, mortality and DALYs all showed a slightly declining trend over the past 30 years, but the latest absolute number of mesothelioma burden almost doubled since 1990. The age-standardized burden of mesothelioma among men was around 3 times more than women in 2019, which decreased among women while remained stable among men. The burden rate decreased among the population aged under 70 years, but increased among the population aged over 80 years, especially in the High socio-demographic index (SDI) region. The age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) of mesothelioma attributable to occupational asbestos exposure in 2019 was positively associated with SDI at the national levels (ρ = 0.3105, P = 6.2e-06). Conclusion This study depicted a continuous increase in incidences, deaths and DALYs of mesothelioma globally over the past 30 years. Controlling occupational asbestos exposure will reduce the mesothelioma burden, especially for higher SDI regions.