Rates of new mesothelioma by state ©Bailey Glasser LLP
From 2015-2019, over 15,000 people were diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States. The map shows the age-adjusted rates of new cancer per 100,000 people by state. Alaska and Maine had the highest rate of new cancers with 1.3 per 100,000 people – nearly twice the rate for the U.S. overall (0.7). while Hawaii had the lowest rate with
0.4 per 100,000 people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, killing an estimated 605,213 people in 2021 alone. While lung, colon, and breast cancer are the most common, they are far from the deadliest forms of the disease.
Cancer researchers determine how deadly a cancer is by looking at the five-year survival rate – the number of people who have not died from their cancer five years after diagnosis. By this measure, mesothelioma is among the deadliest forms of cancer in the United States. Consider that the five-year survival rate of all cancers is 68 percent. Mesothelioma has a survival rate of around twelve percent.
While relatively rare, mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer with one primary cause – asbestos exposure. Asbestos was widely used in construction, manufacturing, and fireproofing until the 1980s. While its use is now limited, the material can still be found in older homes, businesses, and even in schools and universities across the country.
Where then, are people at the highest risk of being exposed to asbestos and developing
and succumbing to this deadly cancer? Using United States Cancer Statistics data from the CDC and the National Cancer Institute, Bailey Glasser LLP identified the states with both the highest and lowest rates of both new cases and deaths.
Rates of mesothelioma deaths by state©Bailey Glasser LLP
During the same time period, from 2015-2019, 12,431 people died from their cancer. Delaware had the highest rate of mesothelioma deaths, with 1.1 per 100,000 people – nearly twice that of the national average (0.6). Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, and South Dakota had the lowest rates of mesothelioma deaths with 0.4 per 100,000.
Interestingly, mesothelioma death rates have decreased across the board in the
United States since 1999 – from 0.9 per 100,000 people to the current rate of 0.6. However, annual death counts have actually increased over that time. This phenomenon is likely the result of a steady increase in population, along with the long latency period of mesothelioma. With advances in treatment, the five-year survival rate has increased considerably during this time period as well – from just over six percent to twelve percent (though that figure depends on which stage of mesothelioma is diagnosed).
10 states with the highest rates of mesothelioma diagnosis and death
©Bailey Glasser LLP
#1. Maine
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.3 per 100,000 (131 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.1 per 100,000 (106 deaths)
#2. Delaware
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.2 per 100,000 (72 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.1 per 100,000 (67 deaths)
#3. Minnesota
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.2 per 100,000 (373 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.1 per 100,000 (317 deaths)
#4. Alaska
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.3 per 100,000 (41 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.9 per 100,000 (28 deaths)
#5. Washington
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.1 per 100,000 (440 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.0 per 100,000 (396 deaths)
#6. Louisiana
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.2 per 100,000 (330 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.9 per 100,000 (252 deaths)
#7. West Virginia
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.2 per 100,000 (148 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.9 per 100,000 (114 deaths)
#8. Idaho
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.1 per 100,000 (107 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.0 per 100,000 (94 deaths)
#9. Montana
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.2 per 100,000 (85 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.9 per 100,000 (65 deaths)
#10. Wisconsin
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.1 per 100,000 (393 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.8 per 100,000 (338 deaths)
10 states with the lowest incidence of mesothelioma diagnosis and death
©Bailey Glasser LLP
#1. Hawaii
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.4 per 100,000 (38 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.4 per 100,000 (36 deaths)
#2. South Dakota
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (31 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.4 per 100,000 (25 deaths)
#3. Arkansas
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (116 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.4 per 100,000 (85 deaths)
#4. Georgia
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (298 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.4 per 100,000 (226 deaths)
#5. New Mexico
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (80 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.5 per 100,000 (70 deaths)
#6. Alabama
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (184 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.5 per 100,000 (140 deaths)
#7. North Dakota
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (29 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (27 deaths)
#8. Nebraska
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (69 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.0 per 100,000 (61 deaths)
#9. Kansas
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (106 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.6 per 100,000 (103 deaths)
#10. Kentucky
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 0.7 per 100,000 (175 new cases)
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 0.5 per 100,000 (138 deaths)
The 10 US counties with the highest rates of mesothelioma diagnosis and death
©Bailey Glasser LLP
The study lists the ten U.S. counties with the highest rates of mesothelioma diagnosis
and death. All ten have death and diagnosis rates significantly higher than those of the states they are in and are at least double the national rate of new cancer diagnosis.
Jefferson Parish had the highest rate of new mesothelioma cancer diagnoses in
the United States, along with the second highest rate of mesothelioma deaths.
In fact, it had a new cancer diagnosis rate more than double that of Louisiana and
3.5 times the national average.
New London County has the highest mesothelioma death rate of any county in
the United States at 2.2 per 100,00 people.
Kitsap County, Washington is the only west coast county among the top ten and is
tied for the second-highest rate of new cancers with Jackson County, Mississippi.
*Data for counties with fewer than 16 cases (or deaths) were suppressed,
therefore, we were unable to identify the counties with the lowest rates.
#1. Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Population: 2,177,527
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 2.6 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 2.1 per 100,000
#2. Jackson County, Mississippi
Population: 720,002
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 2.4 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 2.1 per 100,000
#3. Kitsap County, Washington
Population: 1,331,404
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 2.4 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 2.0 per 100,000
#4. New London County, Connecticut
Population: 1,339,159
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 2.1 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 2.2 per 100,000
#5. Gloucester County, New Jersey
Population: 1,456,501
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 2.3 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.7 per 100,000
#6. Butler County, Pennsylvania
Population: 935,900
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 2.2 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.5 per 100,000
#7. York County, Maine
Population: 1,022,712
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.9 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.5 per 100,000
#8. Camden County, New Jersey
Population: 2,534,555
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.9 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.4 per 100,000
#9. Somerset County, New Jersey
Population: 1,651,105
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.8 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.5 per 100,000
#10. Niagara County, New York
Population: 1,054,720
New Mesothelioma Cancer Rate: 1.6 per 100,000
Mesothelioma Death Rate: 1.6 per 100,000
How to reduce your risk
Exposure to asbestos causes most cases of mesothelioma. In general, people are exposed by breathing in tiny asbestos fibers when the materials are disturbed. Statistics show that most people will not develop mesothelioma, it is important to avoid exposure to asbestos
if possible.
Because asbestos was so widely used before the 1980s, many older homes and buildings still contain asbestos. If you live in an older home, asbestos may be present in pipe and furnace insulation, siding, popcorn ceilings, attic insulation, and flooring.
Avoid disturbing those materials and speak with a local agency or certified asbestos
contractor if the materials need to be replaced or you plan to renovate your home.
If you work around asbestos-containing materials, always wear the proper personal protective equipment and get training for handling asbestos if possible.
Workers in some industries are more likely to be affected than others. This includes military veterans, shipyard workers, construction workers, or even educators and school employees. If your workplace contains asbestos and you believe that it is causing harm, you should tell your employer or health and safety representative. If that fails to resolve your concern, you should contact the work health and safety regulator in your state.
Data and methodology
Mesothelioma data for each state and county reflect the years 2015-2019 and were provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Cancer Institute.
State and county rankings were determined by a composite ranking of death rates and rates of new cancer, ties were broken by the total number of deaths, then the total number of new cases.
This story was produced by Bailey Glasser LLP and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy | Mesothelioma (mesotheliomacancer.org)
Beautiful in blue!
Special Mention: Solitarius.org being a personal blog of information creating awareness for prevention through knowledge of options. Hopefully, with gaining
this knowledge you won’t have to go through what my friends from SOLITARIUS went through back in 2005. Heather Von St. James, after giving birth together with her husband Cameron had a life altering ordeal.
Follow along on my blog as I tell my story from the beginning …
https://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/category/survivors/
There is power in our stories…
Power to offer hope, to inspire and to allow others to see that if I can do this, so can they…
I’m partnering with Mesothelioma.com to share my story of my diagnosis, treatment and survivorship journey…I hope you find inspiration as well.
Diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma, while embarking upon a search to find
the best mesothelioma treatment care available.
Their search finally led them to Dr. David Sugarbaker, a renowned mesothelioma surgeon at the Boston based Brigham and Women’s Hospital. What Dr. David Sugarbaker recommended at the time was ‘ extrapleural pneumonectomy.’
Which at the time was a groundbreaking treatment option offered through the International Mesothelioma Program. Although having some risk associated with the procedure, it also carried great promise for the best possible outcome. Today, Heather a cancer survivor continues her work of providing unending inspiration to mesothelioma victims around the globe through her own personal blog.
While carrying out her compassionate mission, being a beacon of HOPE for those afflicted with mesothelioma; by sharing her story of Faith, Love and Courage, both as a keynote speaker at conferences and through social media forums.
With the health care system in disarray… Maybe we should all consider prevention as a method to sustain longevity. Prevention is key and that is no more evident in the State of Minnesota. The Iron Range territory produces three hundred percent more Mesothelioma cases than the rest of Minnesota. And within Fridley, Minnesota being an Erin Brockovich cancer cluster it’s important to have the facts concerning cancer prevention.
Generally, Minnesota has probably some of the better cancer rates in the United States. While the State, also has more people getting cancer screened than most States (60% versus the national average of 50%). While providing some really informative internet websites for cancer awareness, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota provides State of the Art Treatment (Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy-SMART approaches.)
Read More: Minnesota’s Mesothelioma March | Cancer Quick Facts (solitarius.org)
At the age of just 36, Heather Von St. James – Search (bing.com) did not expect to be diagnosed with Mesothelioma so young. Upon the diagnosis of this cancer, Heather was given just 15 months to live. On February 2nd, 2006, Heather underwent major surgery
to have her lung removed, in the hope to save her life. Heather’s sister declared the day “Lung Leavin’ Day”. 16 years later and after successful surgery, Heather is still fighting
the cause to raise awareness of the disease.
Mesothelioma, a form of cancer commonly found in the lungs or abdomen, is caused by exposure to asbestos. Simple exposure to airborne asbestos is that deadly. Whilst the number of new cases per year is approximately 3,000, an even more harrowing stat is that around 20,000,000 people are at risk of developing mesothelioma each year due to exposure to asbestos.
“When I was a girl, I wore my dad’s work coat all the time. It was covered in asbestos from his construction job” Heather claimed on the Lung Leavin’ Day website. Asbestos is still found in many industrial buildings, homes and schools and is invisible to the naked eye. Heather’s story is, unfortunately, one of many. But Lung Leavin’ Day is about, in Heather’s words “building hope and awareness”.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma is a growing problem in construction; however, it’s not alone. Almost 70% of cancer diagnosis in relation to construction health is caused by asbestosis – the next highest is exposure to silica. The APPG report released in 2020 in the UK entitled Silica – the next asbestos? explores this idea in more detail, but this is a subject that has been discussed scientifically, a long time before this date – e.g.
The Guardian in Australia stating that silica IS the new asbestos.
From a 15-Month Prognosis to 17 Years of Survivorship: Heather Von St. James’ Mesothelioma Story (curetoday.com)
To My Daughter Who Was Just a Baby When I Was Diagnosed with Mesothelioma,
Heather Von St. James | Cancer Quick Facts (solitarius.org)
Heather Von St. James | Mesothelioma.com