January 7, 2004—The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently published updated statistics predicting the future numbers of people likely to die in Britain as a result of mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused by asbestos. The projections were made from recent data accounting for the changing pattern of asbestos exposure.
This latest analysis suggests a lower estimated peak for mesothelioma deaths than predicted in 1995, occurring sooner, but still with “substantial” total numbers. The number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain (males and females of all ages) is now predicted to peak somewhere between 1,950 and 2,450 annually. The peak is expected between the years 2011 and 2015.
This updates a projection made in 1995 that suggested an annual peak of between 2,700 and 3,300 deaths around the year 2020. More information about mesothelioma and the current projections can be found on HSE.
