Did you know?
- Someone dies every five hours from mesothelioma in the UK
- There were 1,628 deaths from mesothelioma in 2000 in Britain
- Mesothelioma is preventable....the only known cause is exposure to asbestos
- The annual death toll will rise to around 2,000 by 2010 and will remain above 1,500 until about 2025
- There are 33% more deaths from mesothelioma than from cervical cancer
- Deaths from mesothelioma have increased ten-fold since 1968 in the UK
- There will be over a million deaths in western Europe by 2035
- The disease can take up to 60 years to develop following exposure to asbestos
- The greatest risk group are men born between 1945 and 1950
- Mesothelioma is a malignant lung disease which results mainly from exposure to asbestos. Someone dies every five hours from mesothelioma in the UK.
- Mesothelioma used to be a rare disease. Sadly, this is no longer the case, and the statistics are getting worse every year.
- The incidence of mesothelioma is escalating, and amongst men in Great Britain it is the highest in the world (70.9 per million men). This is according to a paper published in a recent issue of the Journal of Occupational Medicine. The paper goes on to say that: - Mesothelioma deaths have increased twelve fold from 153 in 1968 to 1848 in 2001
- West Dunbartonshire, Barrow-in-Furness, Plymouth and Portsmouth had the highest mortality rates over this same period
- The occupations with the highest mortality rate were metal plate workers, vehicle body builders, plumbers, gas fitters and carpenters
- Exposure to asbestos in 'traditional' occupations & industries is falling, but exposure in areas such as the building maintenance trades is starting to grow
- The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in 2005 said that 1,874 people died from mesothelioma during 2003, and that the number of female deaths was increasing. The HSE also estimates that by 2015 the deaths from mesothelioma will peak at somewhere between 1,950 and 2,450, and that there will be 65,000 deaths between 2002 & 2050.
- These predictions send out a clear message that we have to act fast, and ensure that mesothelioma moves quickly up the political agenda.
- See also: The mesothelioma charter.
Further information about the disease: