The following is a summary of “Global Incidence, Risk Factors, and Temporal Trends of Mesothelioma: A Population-Based Study,” published in the June 2023 issue of Thoracic Oncology by Huang et al.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that has garnered little notice. This study seeks to assess the global disease burden; trends of mesothelioma by age, gender, and geographic location; and its population-level risk factors. The Global Cancer Observatory, Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus, and Global Burden of Disease were consulted to determine the incidence of mesothelioma and its risk factors across the globe. 

The associations between mesothelioma incidence and asbestos exposure in each country were analyzed by gender and age using multivariable linear regression. To assess the epidemiologic tendencies of mesothelioma, the average annual percentage change (AAPC) was computed using Joinpoint regression. The incidence rate of mesothelioma was 0.30 per 100,000 people, with the most significant incidence rates reported in Northern Europe. The incidence rate of males was significantly higher than that of females. Countries with a more excellent human development index (β = 0.119, CI: 0.073–0.166, P<0.001), gross domestic product per capita (β = 0.133, CI: 0.106–0.161, P<0.001), and asbestos exposure ( β= 0.087, CI: 0.073–0.102, P<0.001) had a greater incidence of mesothelioma. 

The incidence of mesothelioma was decreasing globally, except in Bulgaria (AAPC: 5.56, 95% CI: 2.94–8.24, P= 0.001) and Korea (AAPC: 3.24, 95% CI: 0.08–6.44, P = 0.045). In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the incidence of mesothelioma, which may be attributable to restrictions on using asbestos in some countries. In the meantime, the rising incidence of mesothelioma in females may indicate increased environmental exposure to mineral fibers.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1556086423001259