Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung and abdominal linings that is caused by asbestos exposure. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma per year in the United States. (Cancer.org)
According to the CDC, the mesothelioma death rate in the US from 1999 to 2015 was 8 deaths per one million people. (CDC.gov). During that period, a total of 45,221 deaths from asbestos cancer were reported.
For comparison’s sake, the country with the highest death rate from 1994 to 2008 was the United Kingdom, with 17.8 deaths per one million residents. (Asbestos.com).
When talking about mesothelioma, you may hear the death rate and mortality rate mentioned, but these are both the same thing. They both mean the number of deaths in a specific group of people generally, or from a specific cause.
As noted earlier, mesothelioma is diagnosed in 3,000 Americans per year, making it rare cancer, representing 0.02% of all cancer cases in the country. The death rate is not much different than the mesothelioma incidence rate; unfortunately, most patients with cancer live only a year or less.
Approximately 2-10% of people with prolonged exposure to asbestos develop the disease.
Another important statistic about this cancer to understand is the mesothelioma survival rate. This refers to the percentage of people who live one to five years after they are diagnosed. About 40% of asbestos cancer patients live at least a year.
The most up-to-date information on asbestos-related mortality comes from an online database called CDC WONDER. This database specifies how many people who passed away from mesothelioma from 1999 to 2017.
Age-Adjusted Mortality Rates
One important thing to understand about mesothelioma mortality is the latency period, which is the time from the first asbestos exposure until the cancer is diagnosed. The latency period for mesothelioma can be from 10 to 50 years. So, the death rates for mesothelioma generally only include people who are 25 or older.
SEE ALSO: Mesothelioma Cancer Rates in Men vs Women
For men, the death rate per one million Americans in 2010 was 25, while for women, it was 4.5. For both genders, the death rate was 12.3. The death rate for men was much higher because most of the people who are exposed to asbestos work in male-dominated fields, such as power, construction, manufacturing, and heavy industry.
Mesothelioma Death Rate by Age and Race
Mesothelioma death rates vary widely by age. When the death rates are sorted by 10-year groups, the crude death rate is the worst for those from ages 75-84 at 72 deaths per million. The rate of death for people from 25 to 34 and 35 and 44 were lower than one death per million.
Another factor in the death rate from mesothelioma is the type of cancer. More people die from pleural mesothelioma because it is the most common type, so it has a higher death rate per one million people:
In addition to the type of cancer, the stage when the patient is diagnosed affects how long the person will live. This factor will affect the death rate, but the CDC does not keep track of this information.
CDC data shows that the annual number of asbestos lung cancer death statistics is rising, especially among people 85 and older, probably because they were exposed to asbestos 40 or 50 years ago. But mesothelioma deaths are decreasing in people from 35-64.
Whites comprise approximately 95% of mesothelioma cases, while African-Americans comprise approximately 4%.
The male death rate from mesothelioma will always be higher than women because more men worked in the at-risk occupations. Also, the highest death rates are among men who worked in the shipbuilding and construction industries.
With over $30 billion available for victims through the Asbestos Trust Funds, you could be entitled to financial compensations without ever filing a lawsuit. Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer victims qualify immediately. Complete the form or call us toll-free (800) 352-0871.
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