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Epidemiology of Mesothelioma

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Occupational Cancers

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Abstract

Mesothelioma is a relatively rare but very severe neoplasm that affects primarily the pleura and the peritoneum, and very rarely also the pericardium, the tunica vaginalis of the testis and the ovary. An increased risk of mesothelioma has been demonstrated in many occupational groups exposed to asbestos, with higher risk for exposure to amphiboles such as crocidolite and amosite than to chrysotile.

Current models of asbestos-related mesothelioma imply that time since first exposure is the key determinant of subsequent risk that does not seem to be greatly modified by subsequent exposures and by cessation of exposure, even if there are relative few data on risk shape after cessation of asbestos exposure.

Following the implementation of exposure control measures in most industrialized countries to reduce the incidence of this neoplasm, the number of workers with heavy asbestos exposure and high risk of mesothelioma, who were employed in asbestos mining, manufacturing, and application, has dramatically decreased. Potential occupational exposure to asbestos has generally decreased, but it remains prevalent in many occupational settings, and in particular in the construction industry. A fraction of mesotheliomas, however, originates in patients without apparent occupational exposure to asbestos. This is probably explained by lack of sensitivity in the assessment of occupational exposures, the effect of environmental asbestos, including natural sources as well as environmental contamination from industrial uses, and the existence of a small number of cases arising independently from asbestos.

The only other established cause of mesothelioma, for a small proportion of cases, is ionizing radiation. No other important causes of the disease have been identified.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Paolo Boffetta

  2. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Paolo Boffetta

  3. Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Francesca Donato

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  1. Paolo Boffetta
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  2. Francesca Donato
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Correspondence to Paolo Boffetta .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Sisko Anttila

  2. Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Paolo Boffetta

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Boffetta, P., Donato, F. (2020). Epidemiology of Mesothelioma. In: Anttila, S., Boffetta, P. (eds) Occupational Cancers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30766-0_21

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