Stats and Facts
Mesothelioma Statistics and Facts
Tennessee mesothelioma statistics and facts:
- Tennessee is ranked 24th in the United States based on the number of mesothelioma cases reported by state.
- The mesothelioma morality rate in Tennessee is 7 people per million.
- Between 1979 and 1999, 650 Tennessee residents died because of asbestos-related disease. Two-thirds of these people died of mesothelioma, while the other third died from a non-cancerous disease called asbestosis.
- Industrial work appears to be the main cause of asbestos-related deaths in Tennessee.
- There is a higher prevalence of asbestos-related deaths among people who live in bigger Tennessee cities, such as Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
National mesothelioma statistics and facts:
- Roughly 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are reported every year in the U.S.
- Men are three times more likely than women to develop mesothelioma. (Often because the jobs that involve exposure to mesothelioma are male-dominated)
- Eighty percent of all mesothelioma cases can be directly linked to on the job exposure to asbestos.
- The remaining 20 percent is attributed to secondary exposure from a family member who unknowingly carried asbestos back home on their person or equipment. It can also be caused by environmental exposure.
- In a majority of mesothelioma cases, the disease is latent for 20 to 50 years from the time of exposure to the time of diagnosis.
- The average age at mesothelioma diagnosis is approximately 65.
- Ten percent of all mesothelioma patients live five years following diagnosis.
- Forty percent of all mesothelioma patients live one year following diagnosis.
