Study Indicates Mesothelioma Cases More Among Women

Study Indicates Mesothelioma Cases More Among Women

Introduction

On March 26, a study was published in a peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Lung Cancer, which indicated that the mesothelioma patient population included more women, and the disease is often diagnosed later in life.

The study was conducted by a team of Canadian researchers, which included researchers from Ottawa Hospital, its associated cancer center, and Montfort Hospital at the University of Ottawa.

Mesothelioma is a very rare and aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart, and abdomen called the mesothelium. It is caused when a person is exposed to asbestos fibers. The average life expectancy for mesothelioma patients is 12 to 21 months and around 3,000 cases are diagnosed yearly in the U.S.

The study revealed that over a decade the percentage of women diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma raised to around 9%, with 11.6% during 1991-1999 the number surged to 20.5% from 2010 to 2019.

The study also noted that currently patients are being diagnosed with the disease at a very later age as compared to the patients who were diagnosed in the previous decade. The median age during 1991-1999 was 65.8, which went up to 75 between 2010 and 2019.

The disease has also put talcum powder manufacturers under the legal radar after consumers alleged their products for asbestos contamination. Johnson's Baby Powder, one of the most popular products containing talc, is linked to causing cancer.

Johnson & Johnson is currently facing more than 20,000 baby powder and Shower-to-Shower lawsuits and has been paying millions in settlements to resolve the claims.