International Agency for Research on Cancer Examines Global Mesothelioma Figures for First Time

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has released a report based on the GLOBOCAN database, which includes estimates of the incidence of, mortality and prevalence of 36 types of cancer and for all cancers combined in 185 countries around the world. Among the 36 types of cancer is mesothelioma, making it the first time figures for the disease have been examined.

Per the report, the number of new mesothelioma cases diagnosed in 2018 was 30,443. The number of deaths from the disease totaled 25,576. Mesothelioma incidence was 21,662 for males and 8,781 for females. Sadly, these figures are expected to rise in the coming years, and even decades, as asbestos is still legal in the United States and many other countries, and imports of the toxic mineral are on the rise.

Despite a ban on certain asbestos-containing products such as flooring felt, rollboard, and corrugated, commercial, or specialty paper, it is still legal to use asbestos in any other product. U.S. imports of Asbestos increased nearly 75% from $654,535 to $1.14 million through the first 11 months of 2018 when compared to the same period the previous year. Around 272 metric tons of asbestos was imported in August 2018 alone, bringing the year’s total to more than 550 tons.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, see your doctor right away. Mesothelioma can take years to decades to develop from first exposure. Though many mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, it doesn’t have to be that way. Thanks to raised awareness and advances in the diagnosis and testing of rare cancers such as mesothelioma, early detection is possible today.

Your doctor can refer you to a specialist who can assess your risk, administer tests, and set up a monitoring plan that could help detect mesothelioma sooner and in its most treatable stages. Although there is no cure for the disease, early detection could lead to better treatment options and outcomes. See your doctor to assess your risk today.

 

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"GLOBOCAN." International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR). International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2019. Web. 03 Mar. 2019.

"Imports: Asbestos." UStradenumbers.com. US TradeNumbers, WorldCity, Inc., 2019. Web. 03 Mar. 2019.

“Mesothelioma.” MedlinePlus.gov. NIH: National Cancer Institute, 18 Dec. 2018. Web. 03 Mar. 2019.

"NGOs report spike in US asbestos imports." ChemicalWatch.com. Chemical Watch, 13 Nov. 2018. Web. 03 Mar. 2019.