Update on Mesothelioma: Getting Worse

With my Masters in History second semester starting in a couple of weeks, I am focused on getting my advance class work in shape. I will be focusing this semester on two primary issues: (1) whether an asbestos substitute contributed to the January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and (2) the international section of the book on asbestos which I would like to write, with a focus this semester on asbestos exposure to ship breakers.

So as not to skip my blog this week and to stay close to the history theme, I would like to merely point out a new publicly available August 11, 2021 study entitled Assessment of Global Trends in the Diagnosis of Mesothelioma From 1990 to 2017 which you can find at:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2782981?resultClick=1&fbclid=IwAR1tQ11o33LqXCgFydWJHY5EGz00eE-tmljQlLRhDW8Ilz7wm7qsCq6mrz8

This article is too complicated for the average, above-average, and even an amazingly bright person, so please don’t get dizzy in the details trying to do your own research. Rather, I recommend that my readers primarily rely on the plain language take away points as follows:

1. This study of 195 countries and territories shows that the global Mesothelioma cases have continuously increased from 1990 to 2017.
2. In recent years, mortality is getting worse, especially for woman.
3. Also involved are disability adjusted life-years.
4. In 2017, 34,615 new cases and 29,909 deaths. In 2018, it was 30,443 new cases and 25,576 deaths.
5. The incidence of Mesothelioma has decreased in countries like Sweden which have banned the use of asbestos for more than 2 decades. For others, like the United States; not so good. Just look at High-Income North America for 1990 and 2017 in the Chart on Page 4 of 14.

In order to undertake this study, the authors looked at epidemiological patterns worldwide which have previously been lacking.

My take away is that, if you are a brilliant researcher or experienced with high end research, give this a read. For all others, please read the Abstract and Key Points on the first page and you will get the message that:

1. Since it takes up to 40 years for exposure to turn into disease, about 1.2 million currently living people will die from this cancer without any further exposure; and
2. Those of us in the United States, which has not had a total ban, we are not migrating as quickly as we otherwise can to the good.

Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com or otherwise in the comments. Thank you once again for reading my Blog and considering these issues.