Cancers at a glance

Click the cancer types below to view the latest key facts on trends in new cases, deaths and survival in NSW.

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In depth cancer reports

For detailed data and analysis, please see the latest cancer reports published by the Cancer Institute

Cancer in NSW: Incidence and Mortality 2008

Other cancer reports

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Mesothelioma

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Mesothelioma accounts for 0.6 per cent of all new cancers in NSW and 1.5 per cent of cancer deaths.

At a glance

2008 statistics Men Women All People
Cases Rate Trend Cases Rate Trend Cases Rate
New cases 175 5 icon-trend-static.png 37 0.9 icon-trend-static.png 212 2.7
Deaths 156 4.5 icon-trend-static.png 37 0.9 icon-trend-static.png 193 2.5
Relative survival
(5 year)		 8% icon-trend-static.png 2% 18% icon-trend-static.png 12% -

icon-trend-static.png No statistically significant change.

  • Mesothelioma is the 20th most common cancer diagnosed in NSW males and the 31st most common cancer in females.
  • One in 131 males and one in 802 females will develop mesothelioma by the age of 85.

Cases refers to the number of people with the disease; Rate means cases per 100,000 people (age standardised); Trend means the change in the rate over 10 years.

Historical trends

New cases

Age-standardised incidence, NSW

mesothelioma-incidence.png

Deaths

Age-standardised mortality, NSW

mesothelioma-mortality.png

 

Risk factors

  • Exposure to asbestos fibres is the primary cause of mesothelioma.
  • Exposure to other mineral fibres can also cause the disease.
  • People occupationally involved in the manufacture of cement, textile products, shipyard and mining industries are at increased risk.
  • There is some evidence that genetic predisposition may play an important role in determining an individual's susceptibility to mineral fi bre carcinogenesis and to the development of mesothelioma.

 

Prevention

Avoid inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibres. Strict health and safety codes are now adopted in most settings to control the way asbestos is handled and removed during building destruction or renovation. However, exposure may also occur in secondary situations, such as when laundering clothes that were directly exposed to asbestos fibres.

Detection and screening

There is no screening method for mesothelioma and the disease may not appear until more than 30 years after an exposure to asbestos.

While there may be symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, the disease is often detected after the cancer has spread, lining the lung and forming a secondary cancer in another part of the lung.

Research

Around $1.5 million was spent on research into respiratory cancers, including mesothelioma, in NSW between 2007 and 2009.

Data sources:

  1. Cancer In NSW, Incidence and Mortality Report 2008. Sydney: Cancer Institute NSW, August 2010.
  2. Cancer Research in NSW 2007-2009. Sydney: Cancer Institute NSW. March 2011.
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