Mesothelioma death toll averages 2,500 a year


The number of deaths from mesothelioma, a form of cancer that develops following the inhalation of asbestos fibres, continues to run at over 2,500 a year, official figures show.


There were 2,542 mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain in 2015, a similar number to the 2,519 deaths in 2014, and 2,560 deaths in 2013.


In 2015, there were 2,135 male deaths and 407 female deaths. And there were 2,130 new cases of mesothelioma assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) in 2015 compared with 2,215 in 2014, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.


According to the HSE, the latest projections suggest that there will continue to be around 2,500 deaths a year for the rest of this current decade before annual numbers begin to decline. 


www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/mesothelioma/mesothelioma.pdf?pdf=mesothelioma