A report published by the European Union’s statistical office demonstrates that mesothelioma accounted for 16,469 of the 40,538 occupational cancer cases officially recognized in the European Union between 2013 and 2023. The report issued by Eurostat shows that despite steps taken to minimize asbestos exposure, the rare disease represents 40.6 percent of all diagnosed work-related cancers during this period. When combined with the 16,499 lung cancer diagnoses during the 11-year period, asbestos exposure represents 81.3 percent of all newly recognized occupational cancer cases.
Mesothelioma Cases Reflect Decades-Long Latency Period
Several occupational cancers don’t appear until years after workplace exposure to carcinogenic materials, and in the case of mesothelioma, it often takes 40 years or more. This long latency period means that cases reflected in the study’s period of analysis likely resulted from workplace exposures occurring in the 1980s or earlier, when asbestos use was common. Since then, comprehensive bans have been implemented across European Union member states.
For scientists and statisticians working to track and prevent occupational cancers, mesothelioma’s extended latency period is a complicating factor, as workers exposed to asbestos may have retired, died, or changed employers multiple times before being diagnosed.
Mesothelioma Recognition Declined During Pandemic Years
Also complicating data collection efforts is the fact that diagnosis and reporting of mesothelioma and other occupational cancers fell during the COVID-19 pandemic. Records for the pandemic’s initial year, 2020, showed 3,094 cases, 2021 recorded 3,258 cases, and 2022 reported 3,309 cases. Though these numbers increased as efforts to control the global catastrophe took hold, data from each of those years was lower than the 2013-2019 annual average of 3,909 cases per year.
The decline in diagnoses of mesothelioma and other occupational diseases may have resulted from the pandemic’s impact on work environments and healthcare systems, which disrupted normal disease monitoring, delayed diagnostic procedures, and reduced workers’ ability to access occupational health services for cancer screening and recognition. Reports of diagnoses began to rebound in 2023, with 3,500 occupational cancers officially recognized. This represents 191 cases more than in 2022, though the numbers were still below pre-pandemic averages.
Mesothelioma Remains Leading Occupational Cancer Concern
Though a rare disease, the fact that mesothelioma was diagnosed in nearly the same levels as lung cancer among those recognized as having occupational cancers makes it clear that asbestos continues to have a devastating impact on European workers. Despite decades of regulation and bans, the disease remains a leading occupational health concern requiring continued vigilance, worker protections from exposure, and support for affected individuals and families across the European Union.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you need support and resources. Contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608 to learn how we can help.