Mesothelioma
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.1 Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) affects the chest and lungs and is the most common type of mesothelioma.2
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Prevalence of mesothelioma
In the UK, around 2,700 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year (2017 – 2019).3 The disease is more common in older people with 58% of those diagnosed being over the age of 75 (2017 – 2019).3 The UK has the highest mesothelioma mortality rate globally, with around 2,400 deaths occurring every year (2017 – 2019).3,4
The prevalence of mesothelioma has increased by 53% since the early 1990s due to the heavy use of asbestos up until 1999 when the UK banned all types of asbestos.3,5 The number of new mesothelioma cases in the UK is projected to fall from around 2,600 cases in 2023-2025 to around 2,400 cases in 2038-2040.3,6
Legislative changes to asbestos use in the UK7,8,9
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma
Symptoms don’t often occur in early stages.1,2,10
MPM symptoms1,10
Treatment options for mesothelioma
Mesothelioma can be challenging to treat as it's often found when it's at an advanced stage.11,12 Depending on the type of mesothelioma, a patient's treatment options could include:12
Surgery
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Targeted therapy
References
1 Cleveland Clinic. Mesothelioma. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22432-mesothelioma.
Last accessed: March 2025
2 Cleveland Clinic. Pleural Mesothelioma. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15044-pleural-mesothelioma.
Last accessed: March 2025
3 Cancer Research UK. Mesothelioma statistics. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/mesothelioma#heading-Zero.
Last accessed: March 2025
4 Reynolds, C., Darnton, A. and Cullinan, P. (2019) ‘Mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain: How much longer will dockyards dominate?’, Occupational and environmental health [Preprint]. doi:10.1183/13993003.congress-2019.pa5251.
Last accessed: March 2025
5 Asbestos. Mesothelioma in the UK. Available at: https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/uk/.
Last accessed: March 2025
6 Cancer Research UK. Mesothelioma incidence statistics. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/mesothelioma/incidence#heading-Four.
Last accessed: March 2025
7 Mesothelioma Hub. The History of Asbestos. Available at: https://www.mesotheliomahub.com/mesothelioma/asbestos/history-of-asbestos.
Last accessed: March 2025
8 HASpod. When And Why Asbestos Was Banned In UK Construction. Available at: https://www.haspod.com/blog/asbestos/when-why-asbestos-banned-uk-construction.
Last accessed: March 2025
9 UK Health Security Agency. Asbestos: general information. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asbestos-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/asbestos-general-information.
Last accessed: March 2025
10 Asbestos. Mesothelioma Symptoms. Available at: https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/symptoms/.
Last accessed: March 2025
11 Asbestos. Mesothelioma Stages. Available at: https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/staging/.
Last accessed: March 2025
12 Mayo Clinic. Mesothelioma. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mesothelioma/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20375028.
Last accessed: March 2025
March 2025 | ONC-GB-2500014