Mesothelioma Incidence & Trends in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, deaths from mesothelioma continue to increase. Doctors have discovered more and more cases in both men and women throughout England, Scotland, and Wales.

The British government keeps track of mesothelioma deaths via a mesothelioma register established in 1967. By that time, they had already recognized that individuals working with the hazardous mineral asbestos were experiencing myriad health-related problems.

Great Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the branch of the government that monitors cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, reports a substantial increase in mesothelioma over the past 40 years. A few years ago, data was released by the HSE which indicated that cases of mesothelioma had increased more than 100-fold in three-and-a-half decades, with 153 cases reported in 1968 and 1,848 in 2001. More recent numbers indicate that the number has continued to rise. In 2006, 2,056 cases of the disease were reported.

The HSE hypothesizes that the annual total number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain will peak between current levels and 2,450 deaths sometime before the year 2015.

Men Versus Women

The HSE indicates that because of the large number of men who worked in the shipyards of Great Britain, mesothelioma still largely affects males. About 85 percent of the cases reported each year are among men; in 2006, 1,740 men died of mesothelioma. Other high-risk, male-dominated professions include those related to construction, such as carpenters and joiners, plumbers, heating and ventilating engineers, electricians, and electrical fitters.

The incidence of mesothelioma among females has actually fallen in the last 30 years. In the 1970s, the HSE reported that women accounted for about 20 percent of all cases of mesothelioma diagnosed each year. In the early 1990s the percentage was approximately 13 percent and that number has pretty much remained consistent since that time. In 2006, women represented14 percent of mesothelioma deaths reported that year.

Age

Cases of mesothelioma in the United Kingdom have always been highest among men who are age 65 and over. During the last 15 years, incidence among men who are age 55 and up has increased while incidence among younger individuals (0-54) has decreased.

Among females with mesothelioma, incidence has increased gradually since the early '70s among women age 45 and older. Many of these cases have been due to secondary exposure; these women may have been married to an asbestos worker or grew up with a father, grandfather, or other male relative who worked with asbestos and carried the dust into the home and contaminated family members. Some women, however, did indeed work directly with asbestos.

Areas with High Incidence

The Health and Safety Executive also lists the areas of the United Kingdom that are most affected by mesothelioma. The majority of sites high on the list are towns where the residents were heavily involved in shipbuilding. The 20 most-affected sites in the UK are:

• Glasgow City
• Plymouth
• North Tyneside
• Sunderland
• Portsmouth
• Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Medway
• Southampton
• South Tyneside
• West Dunbartonshire
• Barking and Degenham
• Barrow-In-Furness
• Newham
• Renfrewshire
• Havant
• Eastleigh
• Crewe and Nantwich
• Inverclyde
• Hartlepool
• Gosport