Malignant Mesothelioma: Global Incidence and Relationship with Asbestos

Abstract

Mesothelioma incidence varies markedly from one country to another. The highest annual crude incidence rates (about 30 cases per million) are observed in Australia, Belgium, and Great Britain. A lot of data indicate a relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos. The hot areas for mesothelioma exactly correspond to the sites of industries with high asbestos use, such as shipbuilding and asbestos-cement industry. However, in many countries with high asbestos consumption, mesothelioma incidence is low. The reasons for this fact are not clear. The latency periods elapsing between first exposure to asbestos and development of mesothelioma are mostly longer than 40 yr. An inverse relationship exists between intensity of asbestos exposure and length of the latency period. Mesothelioma generally develops after long-time exposures to asbestos. Some recent studies show that the risk increases with the duration of exposure. Possible co-factors in the pathogenesis of asbestos-related mesothelioma include genetic predisposition, diets poor in fruit and vegetables, viruses, immune impairment, recurrent serosal inflammation. The study of co-morbidity in mesothelioma could give an insight into the pathogenesis of the tumor. While a levelling-off in mesothelioma incidence has been registered in some countries, a worsening of the epidemic is predictable in large parts of the world.

The Role of Regulatory T Cells in Mesothelioma

“…Despite this ban on asbestos sales, the incidence of MM is still expected to rise due to the recent "renovation boom" (particularly in Australia) and the very long lag-times between exposure and diagnosis (30-40 years). In addition, numerous developing countries continue to use asbestos [8]. In a 2005 Lancet review of MM, the management and treatment options for MM were discussed [5].…”

Evolution of pleural cancers and malignant pleural mesothelioma incidence in France between 1980 and 2005

“…Despite marked variations from one country to another, a rise of mesothelioma incidence and mortality has been observed in European countries, including Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Italy, and in Canada and Japan. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Incidence calculated projections suggest a peak in men around 2017 in the Netherlands, around 2014 in Australia and between 2011 and 2015 in Great Britain. [8][9][10][11][12] Nevertheless, mesothelioma incidence in men in the United States and in the population of Sweden seems to have levelled off in the 1990s.…”

“…Despite marked variations from one country to another, a rise of mesothelioma incidence and mortality has been observed in European countries, including Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Italy, and in Canada and Japan. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Incidence calculated projections suggest a peak in men around …”

Radio-immunotherapy and chemo-immunotherapy as a novel treatment paradigm in malignant pleural mesothelioma

“…Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has been welldocumented to be a long-term complication of asbestos exposure with an increasing incidence in industrialized countries (1). MPM has a dismal prognosis with a medium survival of 12 to 18 months after diagnosis (2).…”