Mesothelioma Death Rate

Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Because the cancer is rare, many patients and their loved ones are not sure what the cancer is and what exactly a mesothelioma diagnosis entails. Questions about prognosis and the mesothelioma death rate often surface.

The disease's death rate and how a patient can increase life expectancy are among the many topics covered in the Mesothelioma Center's free informational packet. The comprehensive guide delivers a number of resources at your door about mesothelioma and how to battle the disease.

Mesothelioma Mortality Rate

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the malignant mesothelioma death rate in the United States from 1999 through 2005 totaled 18,068 people. The death rate increased from 2,482 deaths in 1999 to 2,704 in 2005, an increase of 222 deaths.

Men are diagnosed with mesothelioma more often than women, and males comprised 80.8 percent of mesothelioma deaths during this timeframe (a total of 14,591). White people comprised 95.1 percent of mesothelioma deaths, totaling 17,180.

Age influenced the mortality rate, as those 75 years old and older comprised the majority of the patients who passed away from mesothelioma (8,858 total deaths). Deaths in patients age 44 or younger totaled 311, or 1.7 percent. 

The mesothelioma death rate was highest in Maine at 27.5 percent (173 total), followed by Wyoming (22.2 percent, 50 deaths), West Virginia (21 percent, 182 deaths), Pennsylvania (20.8 percent, 1,210 deaths), New Jersey (20.2 percent, 814 deaths) and Washington (20.1 percent, 558 deaths).
Research and extensive studies are conducted daily to improve treatments for mesothelioma patients and search for a cure for the cancer. Through medical advances and developments in clinical trials, more options will continue to be available to combat mesothelioma and improve the mesothelioma death rate in the United States.