Mesothelioma Fatality Rate

Until 1999, mesothelioma mortality rates were not specifically tracked in the United States. Discrepancies in statistics before 1999 led researchers to believe that a number of previous mesothelioma cases had been diagnosed as other illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even its mesothelioma deaths analysis from 1999 to 2005 might be inaccurate due to a lack of proper categorization of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma facts and figures

Here are some facts and figures from the CDC about the mesothelioma fatality rate in the United States from 1999 to 2005:

• There were 18,068 mesothelioma deaths during that period
• Deaths increased from 2,482 in 1999 to 2,704 in 2005
• The annual death rate remained stable at 14.1 per million in 1999 and 14.0 per million in 2005
• The largest death rate was 6,862 deaths in the age group of 75 to 84 years
• The age group with the next highest mesothelioma mortality rate was 65 to 74 years with 5,268 deaths
• The numbers of deaths in the younger age groups decreased steadily with only 51 deaths in the youngest age group of 25 to 34 years
• More males died than females—14,591 males compared to 3,477 females
• The larger number of male deaths was attributed to occupational asbestos exposure
• The majority of deaths occurred among the whites with a total of 17,180 deaths
• More people died of pleural mesothelioma than any other type of mesothelioma
• Unspecified mesothelioma deaths numbered 13,454
• Six states had higher mortality rates than the national average:
  • Maine (27.5 per million population)
  • New Jersey (20.2 per million)
  • Pennsylvania (20.8 per million)
  • Washington (20.1 per million)
  • Wyoming (22.2 per million)
  • West Virginia (21 per million)
• Industries with the highest mesothelioma death rates included:
  • Shipbuilding and repair
  • Industrial and miscellaneous chemicals
  • Petroleum refining
  • Electric light and power
  • Construction
• Occupations that were significantly affected included:
  • Plumbers
  • Pipefitters
  • Steamfitters
  • Mechanical engineers
  • Electricians
  • Elementary school teachers

Mesothelioma cure

In general, mesothelioma is not diagnosed until the later stages of the disease. Because the mesothelioma latency period is often decades, many people do not associate their symptoms with asbestos exposure, and mesothelioma has the same symptoms as a number of other illnesses. While there is no cure for mesothelioma at this time, the best chance for survival is early diagnosis and treatment that stops the cancer from spreading and reduces the size of the tumors.