Global Mesothelioma Deaths Reported
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ResearchResearch Global mesothelioma deaths reported to the World Health Organization between 1994 and 2008 Vanya Delgermaa,a Ken Takahashi,a Eun-Kee Park,a Giang Vinh Le,a Toshiyuki Haraa & Tom Sorahanb Objective To carry out a descriptive analysis of mesothelioma deaths reported worldwide between 1994 and 2008. Methods We extracted data on mesothelioma deaths reported to the World Health Organization mortality database since 1994, when the disease was first recorded. We also sought information from other English-language sources. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated and mortality trends were assessed from the annual percentage change in the age-adjusted mortality rate. Findings In total, 92 253 mesothelioma deaths were reported by 83 countries. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates were 6.2 and 4.9 per million population, respectively. The age-adjusted mortality rate increased by 5.37% per year and consequently more than doubled during the study period. The mean age at death was 70 years and the male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1. The disease distribution by anatomical site was: pleura, 41.3%; peritoneum, 4.5%; pericardium, 0.3%; and unspecified sites, 43.1%. The geographical distribution of deaths was skewed towards high-income countries: the United States of America reported the highest number, while over 50% of all deaths occurred in Europe. In contrast, less than 12% occurred in middle- and low-income countries. The overall trend in the age- adjusted mortality rate was increasing in Europe and Japan but decreasing in the United States. Conclusion The number of mesothelioma deaths reported and the number of countries reporting deaths increased during the study period, probably due to better disease recognition and an increase in incidence. The different time trends observed between countries may be an early indication that the disease burden is slowly shifting towards those that have used asbestos more recently. .中文, Français, Pусский and Español at the end of each article ,عريب Abstracts in Introduction was included only in 1993 with the 10th revision (ICD-10).14 However, as acknowledged by WHO, accuracy in diagnosing Malignant mesothelioma is a rare but fatal form of cancer which causes of death varies among countries.13 By 30 January 2011, is difficult to diagnose. The disease is causally linked to asbestos mesothelioma death figures were available for a 15-year period. exposure with an etiological fraction of 80% or more.1,2 It has been The aim of this study was to improve the understanding and man- reported that the incidence is much higher in men than women.3 agement of malignant mesothelioma by carrying out a descriptive The latency period for mesothelioma after initial exposure to asbes- analysis of global data available on deaths caused by the disease. tos is typically longer than 30 years and the median survival time after diagnosis is 9–12 months.3 The World Health Organization Methods (WHO) has recognized that asbestos is one of the most important occupational carcinogens and that the burden of asbestos-related We extracted the numbers of mesothelioma deaths recorded in the disease is rising. Consequently, WHO has declared that asbestos- WHO mortality database as malignant mesothelioma (i.e. ICD- related diseases should be eliminated throughout the world.4 10 category C45 or any subcategory thereof ) between 1994 and 2008. In addition, we conducted a literature search of PubMed The global mesothelioma burden is unclear. Driscoll et al. to identify papers published in English that could provide useful estimated that as many as 43 000 people worldwide die from the information on national mesothelioma data. However, the data 5 disease each year. It has also been estimated that there are around identified lacked detailed information on the numbers of deaths 10 000 mesothelioma cases annually in Australia, Japan, North (e.g. on year, age group and gender). Consequently, we used only 1 America and western Europe combined. In addition, Park et al. data from the WHO mortality database in the analysis. suggested that one mesothelioma case may be overlooked for every The number of deaths was summed by calendar year and coun- 6 four to five recorded. Reports of an increase in the incidence of try and was stratified according to demographic characteristics, 7–11 mesothelioma have been published in a wide range of countries. including gender and anatomical disease site. To calculate mortal- However, to date there is no established global baseline that can ity rates, national population data were obtained from the WHO be used to evaluate trends in disease occurrence. health statistics and health information systems12 and the United Since 1994, data on mesothelioma deaths have been included States Census Bureau,15 with priority being given to WHO data. in the WHO mortality database, which records deaths in WHO National counts were further aggregated by region and in- Member States in each calendar year. Data are specified by disease come level. We merged the smaller regions defined by the United category, gender and 5-year age intervals and are integrated across Nations Statistics Division16 into the five continents: Africa, the countries using a common format.12 Data comparability improved Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. In addition, we adapted the with the introduction of the International Classification of Dis- World Bank categories of national income level17 to form three eases (ICD),13 though the category “malignant mesothelioma” categories: low, middle and high income. The World Bank “up- a Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Iseigaoka 1-1, Yahatanishiku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture 807-8555, Japan. b Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, England. Correspondence to Ken Takahashi (e-mail: [email protected]). (Submitted: 30 January 2011 – Revised version received: 17 May 2011 – Accepted: 17 May 2011 – Published online: 13 June 2011 ) 716 Bull World Health Organ 2011;89:716–724C | doi:10.2471/BLT.11.086678 Research Vanya Delgermaa et al. Global mesothelioma mortality per middle” and “lower middle” categories With regard to anatomical site, the ing age-adjusted mortality rate was 5.3 per were merged into the middle category. pleura accounted for 41.3% of all meso- million during 2001 to 2008 compared National data on mesothelioma thelioma deaths and unspecified sites, for with 4.0 per million during 1994 to 2000. deaths were available for 1 to 15 years, de- 43.1%, far outnumbering the peritoneum Age-specific mesothelioma mortality pending on the country. As a consequence, and pericardium, which accounted for rates for men and women separately and the number of countries that reported data 4.5% and 0.3% of deaths, respectively. combined are illustrated by age group in in any particular year ranged from 3 to 57. The male-to-female ratio was higher for Fig. 1. The rate was relatively unchanging This variability was taken into account unspecified sites, the pleura and other at below 10 mesothelioma deaths per mil- when calculating the mortality rate for a sites, at 4.0:1, 3.7:1 and 3.2:1, respectively, lion up to 55 years of age, then increased group of countries by ensuring that any compared with 1.8:1 and 1.6:1 for the peri- sharply to a peak of 54 per million for particular country contributed data to cardium and peritoneum, respectively. In individuals aged 75 to 89 years. In men, both the numerator and denominator of fact, mesothelioma of the peritoneum was the rate peaked at 113 per million in the rate calculation only in those calendar more than twice as common in females as the 80–84-year age group; in women, it years during which mesothelioma data in males (7.7% versus 3.6%, respectively; peaked at 21 per million in the same age were available for that country. Age- data not shown in the table). By anatomi- group. For pleural mesothelioma, a peak adjusted mortality rates were calculated cal site, the age-adjusted mortality rate was in mortality between the ages of 75 and using a direct age-adjustment method, 2.3, 2.3 and 0.3 per million for the pleura, 89 years was also clearly observed (Fig. 2; with reference to the world population in unspecified sites and the peritoneum, available at: http://www.who.int/bul- the year 2000.18 respectively. The mean age at death by letin/volumes/89/10/11-086678). For To assess disease trends over time, we anatomical site was highest for unspecified peritoneal mesothelioma, an age peak was analysed the data from countries that had sites, at 70.9 years, while it was 70.1 years noted for individuals aged 65 to 84 years reported deaths due to mesothelioma for for patients with pleural mesothelioma and (Fig. 3; available at: http://www.who.int/ more than 5 years. Regression analysis was 70.7 years for the category of other sites. bulletin/volumes/89/10/11-086678). used to determine how the age-adjusted Again, findings for these sites contrasted Graphs of the age-specific mesothelioma mortality rate varied by calendar year. A with those for the peritoneum and pericar- mortality rates for different national log–linear trend was assumed and weight- dium, for which the mean age at death was income levels demonstrated the same age ing was applied for the size of population 66.0 and 61.1 years, respectively. peak for high-income countries (Fig. 4; at risk each year. To characterize the time When mesothelioma deaths were available at: http://www.who.int/bulletin/ trend in the age-adjusted mortality rate, analysed by continent, most were found to volumes/89/10/11-086678).