Overview
- A national study published June 11, 2026 in JCO Global Oncology found that U.S. mesothelioma diagnoses, deaths and disability-adjusted life years have increased through 2023 even though age-standardized rates fell.
- Researchers report age-standardized incidence and mortality dropped roughly one-third from 1990 to 2023 while the absolute number of diagnoses rose about 30 percent and DALYs climbed 14 percent because the population grew and aged.
- Population-level survival has changed little over three decades: the mortality-to-incidence ratio stayed near 1, meaning most people diagnosed with mesothelioma still die from the disease.
- The burden is shifting by sex and place, with female incidence rising in 20 states and female mortality rising in 18 states, and the highest state-level burdens in Maine, Alaska, Washington and Minnesota linked to shipyards, mining and naturally occurring asbestos.
- Authors say the pattern reflects long lags after exposure, pervasive legacy asbestos in infrastructure, and the lack of a full U.S. ban, and they call for targeted remediation, stronger surveillance and renewed investment in better treatments.