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6984618 
Technical Report 
Mesothelioma occupation statistics: Male and female deaths aged 16-74 in Great Britain
2002-2010 
Health and Safety Executive :: HSE 
2013 
Health and Safety Executive 
Bootle, Merseyside, England 
28 
English 
Mesothelioma is a formally rare form of cancer that principally affects the pleura (the external lining of the lung) and the peritoneum (the lining of the lower digestive tract) [1]. Many cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed at an advanced stage as symptoms are non specific and appear late in the development of the disease [2]. It is almost always fatal with most of those affected usually dying within twelve months of diagnosis [3]. Asbestos is responsible for causing the vast majority of mesothelioma cases in GB. There are currently about five times as many deaths in men as there are in women each year. This is largely a reflection of the fact that past asbestos exposures that caused many of these deaths tended to occur in occupational settings, and in jobs mainly held by men rather than women. Although still caused by asbestos, a minority of currently occurring female deaths are directly attributable to occupational exposures [4]. The continuing increase in annual mesothelioma deaths is a consequence of the effect of past exposures and the long latency period of the disease (i.e. the time between initial exposure to asbestos and the manifestation of mesothelioma) which is typically between 30 and 40 years.

The causal link between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma in humans was first reported by Wagner et al in 1960 [5] following reports of cases among asbestos workers in South Africa, and has since been confirmed by many other studies. As a consequence of the widespread use of asbestos, the incidence of mesothelioma has risen dramatically in many countries since the 1960s and rates in Great Britain are now among the highest in the world [6].

The British Mesothelioma Register was established in 1967 [1] in response to the emerging evidence about the association between asbestos and mesothelioma. By including all deaths where the cause of death on the death certificate mentions the word “mesothelioma” the register now provides a consistent series of mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain for over 4 decades [3].

The aim of this fact sheet is to provide updated mesothelioma mortality statistics by last recorded occupation of the deceased within Great Britain from 2002-2010 using data from the mesothelioma register.