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Key Statistics About Mesothelioma
Learn about key statistics for mesothelioma, including how common it is and who is most affected.
How common is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is fairly rare in the United States. About 3,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
The rate of mesotheliomas in the US increased from the 1970s to the 1990s, but since then it has leveled off and even gone down slightly. These changes are probably related to changes in workplace exposures to asbestos, the main cause of mesothelioma.
In many other countries where workplace exposure to asbestos is more common, the rate of mesothelioma is still increasing.
Who is most affected by mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is much more common in men than in women. This is probably because men have been more likely to work in jobs with heavy exposure to asbestos.
The time between exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma is often decades. Because of this, mesotheliomas are much more common in older people.
The average age of people diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma in the chest) is about 70.
Most people diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma in the abdomen) are in their 50s. Mesothelioma is rare in younger people, including children.
Information on survival rates can be found in Survival Statistics for Mesothelioma.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
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Bou-Samra P, Chang A, Azari F, et al. Epidemiological, therapeutic, and survival trends in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A review of the National Cancer Database. Cancer Med. 2023;12(11):12208.
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Kaidar-Person O, Zagar T, Haithcock BE, Weiss J. Chapter 70: Diseases of the Pleura and Mediastinum. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier; 2020.
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Last Revised: February 3, 2026
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