A Retrospective Epidemiological Study of Mesothelioma in the United States (1999-2020) Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) Data

Our plain-English summary of A Retrospective Epidemiological Study of Mesothelioma in the United States (1999-2020) Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) Data, by Y. Guntupalli, B. Vejandla, T. Evans, et al (Curēus, 2025).

The study

• Authors: Y. Guntupalli, B. Vejandla, T. Evans, P. Ratan, S. Karumanchi Anantha Venkata Sai, S.P. Varakala
• Journal: Curēus
• Published: 2025;17(10):e95811
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Introduction: Mesothelioma is a rare malignancy of the serous membranes, most commonly the pleura. Variations and demographic trends in mesothelioma incidence form the basis of this study.

Methodology: A retrospective study was conducted on August 30, 2024, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database. The study analyzed age, gender, and race of mortality among mesothelioma patients in the United States from 1999 to 2020.

Results: There was a significant increase in the incidence of mesothelioma from 1999, peaking in 2011, followed by a gradual decline. Incidence was higher among individuals aged ≥75 years, men, and the White population.

Conclusions: This study highlights the higher incidence of mesothelioma in individuals aged ≥75 years compared to younger age groups, in men compared to women, and in White populations compared to other races. Overall, the incidence increased from 1999 to 2010, peaked in 2011, and declined thereafter through 2020.

Copyright © 2025, Guntupalli et al.

In plain English

This was a retrospective study of mesothelioma cases recorded in the United States from 1999 to 2020. It used the CDC WONDER Cancer Incidence dataset, which draws on state cancer registries. The authors included people aged 15 and older diagnosed with mesothelioma as the primary cancer site and compared groups by age, sex and race. The study did not collect information on asbestos exposure and did not separate mesothelioma by body site. Over the whole period the crude rate was 1.03 cases per 100,000. The highest rates were in people aged 75 and older (7.97 per 100,000), in men (1.59, compared with 0.48 in women) and in White people (1.21, compared with 0.36 in Black or African American and 0.27 in Asian or Pacific Islander people). Overall incidence was highest in 2011 and then declined, with the lowest year in 2020. The authors suggested that historical asbestos restrictions partly explain the decline. This study did not test that. They noted that data after 2020, and information on tumor stage, grade and outcomes, were not available.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Retrospective study of national cancer registry data (CDC WONDER Cancer Incidence 1999-2020 dataset), with descriptive statistics and simple linear regression of yearly rates
• Who was studied: People aged 15 years or older diagnosed with mesothelioma as the primary cancer site in the United States, 1999-2020. Cases came from state registries in the National Program of Cancer Registries and the SEER Program. The table lists 55,476 male and 17,303 female cases.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was measured. The study compared mesothelioma rates by age group, sex, race and calendar year.
• Main results:
  • Across all included people, 1999-2020, the crude mesothelioma rate was 1.03 per 100,000.
  • The highest crude rates were in people aged 75 and older (7.97 per 100,000; 34,721 cases, 47.72% of cases), in men (1.59 per 100,000) and in White people (1.21 per 100,000).
  • Men had a crude rate of 1.59 per 100,000 (55,476 cases, 76.23%) and women 0.48 per 100,000 (17,303 cases, 23.77%).
  • Crude rates were lower in Asian or Pacific Islander people (0.27 per 100,000) and Black or African American people (0.36 per 100,000). The table gives 0.32 per 100,000 for American Indian or Alaskan Native people.
  • Overall incidence was highest in 2011, then declined gradually, and was lowest in 2020.
  • In men, incidence began to fall after 2015. In women it was described as relatively stable.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the decline after the 2011 peak appears partly attributable to historical laws restricting asbestos use. They also concluded that incidence rises with age and is higher in men and White people. Asbestos exposure was not measured in this study.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Data for 2021-2023 were not available, largely because of COVID-19 disruptions to data collection.
  • There was no information on cancer stage, grade or outcomes.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Pleura.

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