FRIDAY, June 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Mesothelioma deaths and diagnoses continue to rise in the United States despite regulation limiting the use of asbestos, according to a study published online June 11 in JCO Global Oncology.
Kyle Edwards, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues evaluated the U.S. population-level burden of mesothelioma. The analysis included national- and state-level data (1990 to 2023) from the Global Burden of Disease database.
The researchers found that nationally, age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) declined 33 percent (0.64 to 0.43 per 100,000) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) declined 31 percent (0.60 to 0.41) from 1990 to 2023. Even steeper reductions were seen among men (ASIR, −42 percent; ASMR, −41 percent) versus women (ASIR, −7 percent; ASMR, −8 percent). There was no meaningful population-level survival improvement observed, with mortality-to-incidence ratios rising from 0.93 to 0.95 overall and from 0.95 to 0.98 among men. In 2023, occupational asbestos exposure accounted for 95.7 percent of deaths. There was a 40 percent decline in age-standardized disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) rates, although absolute DALYs increased 14 percent. The highest ASIRs and ASMRs were seen in Maine, Alaska, Washington state, and Minnesota.
"Declining rates don't necessarily mean fewer lives affected," Edwards said in a statement. "When you look at absolute numbers and disability, mesothelioma remains a substantial public health problem."
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
