Mesothelioma reported as most common occupational cancer in EU after lung tumours

There were 13,530 mesothelioma cancer cases in the EU between 2013 and 2021, new Eurostat data reveals.

That is the highest number among work-related cancers over the same period, second only to lung cancer (13,944 cases).

Mesothelioma is generally connected to asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a mineral that was once widely used in the construction of floors, ceilings and roofs.

The EU banned it in 2005.

Mesothelioma symptoms typically don’t appear until decades after asbestos exposure.

Last year, the EU parliament approved a new directive that reduces the maximum allowed level of asbestos exposure from 0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre to 0.01.

In 2021, there were 1,409 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed, accounting for 43% of all occupational cancers.

The yearly rate of mesothelioma diagnoses as an occupational cancer remained quite stable between 2013 and 2021, with a peak of 1,623 cases in 2013 and a low of 1,274 in 2020.

Italy reported the highest number of preventable mesothelioma deaths in 2021 (518), followed by Germany (400) and France (329).