Mesothelioma in the US Continued
Mesothelioma incidence often is interpreted as an indicator of exposure to asbestos. Projections of the number of mesothelioma cases over time may be used to evaluate various asbestos health management interventions including exposure limits and products bans. Mesothelioma projections also provide a foundation for estimating the number of potential lawsuits from persons claiming occupational exposure to asbestos or exposure resulting from use of previously manufactured asbestos-containing products. Noting recent publications discussing mesothelioma incidence in North America and that projected numbers of future mesothelioma cases in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have been adjusted based on new data (1–4), we analyzed current Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data (5) to update mesothelioma trends in the United States.