Mesothelioma: Trends Based on Gender

Statistical data shows that men are more likely than women to be diagnosed with mesothelioma. Studies have shown that this may be a result of the fact that more men than women have worked in asbestos-contaminated occupations or industries and therefore have an increased chance of being exposed to asbestos fibers.
According to CDC data, 14,598 men and 3,485 women died of malignant mesothelioma during the period from 1999 through 2005. Although the diagnoses and deaths of mesothelioma in men are higher than women, there has been an increase in the number of diagnoses in women. Studies have shown that this may be due to second-hand exposure from handling clothing or other tools or objects that may have been carried from the workplace to home.
According to an abstract published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the percentages for mesothelioma diagnosis for men and women per anatomical site are the following:
Men: pleura 90.2%
abdominal cavity 8.3%
genital region 0.7%
heart and other 0.4%
Women: pleura 71.1%
abdominal cavity 24.3%
heart 1.6%
genital and other 1.5%
Overall men are at higher risk to develop mesothelioma; however, women are at higher risk for pericardial (heart) and peritoneal (abdomen) related mesothelioma diagnoses. Peritoneal mesothelioma is sometimes misdiagnosed in women because it comes from the same tissues as ovarian cancer. There is difficulty in distinguishing between mesothelioma tissues of the peritoneum and tissues of the ovary, which may result in a misdiagnosis, or late diagnosis.
Data shows that the number of mesothelioma incidences in men reached a peak between the period of 2000 and 2005. There were more than 2,000 male deaths each year during this time. The number of incidence in women is expected to increase slightly due to changes in the size of the population and the shift in age distribution. There were more than 500 female deaths each year between 2000 and 2005. According to the ASCO abstract, women typically survive longer than men after a mesothelioma diagnosis.