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Researchers Report Start of Decrease in Mesothelioma Cases in French Men

Friday, February 5, 2010

In contrast to previous findings, French researchers are reporting that the incidence of pleural mesothelioma among French men has begun a slight downward trend. For women, however, the incidence of mesothelioma has shown a significant increase. The findings covered data from 1980 to 2005, and were reported in the International Journal of Cancer.

Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and is most commonly found in the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.

The last predictions of the incidence of mesothelioma and pleural cancers in France were conducted in 2000. At that time estimates were given that the mortality rate would peak in 2020 with 900 annual deaths. The number of cases of mesothelioma and other pleural cancers continued to increase 3.1% year over year until 2000.

The new study reviewed data through 2005 gathered from two sources: the French network of cancer registries (FRANCIM) comprised of medical data from local cancer registries from the 100 districts in France, and the French National Mesothelioma Surveillance Program (PNSM), established in 1998. Prior to the inclusion of data in the FRANCIM database, experts confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis.

The total number of pleural cancers represented in the data totaled 1,457 diagnoses from 1980-2003. 1,147 of the cases were in the male population, while 310 or 21% of the cases affected women. When looking closer at the female population the incidence of total mesothelioma cases increased from 80 cases in 1980, to 170 in 1995, and to 264 in 2005.

Researchers concluded that the likely explanation for the increase in mesothelioma reported among French women is due to their under diagnosis in the 1980-1997 period. The rise in the proportion of mesothelioma incidence rate of pleural cancers went from 48% in 1980-1985 to 86% in 1998-2003. The latest period shows a proportion identical with that in men during the same time period suggesting that pleural mesotheliomas in women were under diagnosed before 1997, probably as the result of a secondary pleural cancer diagnosis.

The researchers attribute the asbestos regulations imposed across the country beginning in 1977 to the decrease shown in mesothelioma among men. The primary cause of mesothelioma among French men is associated with occupational asbestos exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years, however, researchers used a 30-year average latency period for their study.

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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News

posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
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