How Common is Mesothelioma
Although incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a rare cancer. It is approx one per 1000000. In comparison with the levels of smoking and lung cancer incidents of over 1000 in 1000000 in western nations in the past several decades. It is expected that the incident of malignant mesothelioma currently range from 7 to 40 per 1000000. It has been estimated that the incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1000000 in the United States in 2004. Incidence in other parts of the world is expected to increase. Mesothelioma also occurs more in men then in women and the risk with age increases, but the disease can occur in men and women at any age.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States each year. Men are more likely to develop mesothelioma than are women. It's more common in older adults — most people with mesothelioma are 65 and older — though mesothelioma can be diagnosed at any age.
The most common type of mesothelioma is Pleural mesothelioma the pleura is a thin membrane in the lung and chest cavity. It provides the lubrication of the lungs so they can move during the breathing process. Thus, a pleural mesothelioma is often referred to as lung cancer.
The peritoneum is the membrane that encloses the organs of the abdomen. While peritoneal mesotheliomas are less common than pleural mesotheliomas, they tend to be more invasive, and may thus result in a shorter life expectancy for the patient. Mesotheliomas have also been found in the stomach and other abdominal organs.
The most common form of mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs. Other common sites include the stomach and the heart. Mesothelium surrounds the lungs, the stomach, the heart, and other organs. Tumors can start in any of these places. These tumors can be benign or they can be cancerous.
Did You Know?
About 3 out of 4 mesotheliomas start in the chest cavity, which protects the lungs. Another 10%-20% begin in the stomach or peritoneal (the lining of the stomach). The remaining, which can start around the heart or the testicles, are extremely rare.
Most incidence of mesothelioma stems from people who have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways, such as washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. One of the biggest challenges with this rare disease is that this cancer may not even begin to demonstrate symptoms until 20, 30, 40 or even 50 or years after the first exposure to asbestos.
Although malignant mesothelioma is rare, it is a serious, deadly disease. But with the ever-emerging new treatment for cancer gives hope for patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. So even though it is a rare cancer, incidence of malignant mesothelioma deserves attention because of the direct link between the exposure to asbestos and the development of the cancer. With this knowledge, it is hopeful that the incidences of malignant mesothelioma will soon begin to decline.
