The Australian Mesothelioma Registry
Lee-Koo C1
Barker S1
Benke G2
Harvey J1
Laws P1
MacFarlane EM2
Sim MR2
1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
2 Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
Aims
Australia has one of the highest incidence rates of malignant mesothelioma in the world. The Australian Mesothelioma Registry (AMR) was established in 2011 and collects information on the incidence, mortality and asbestos exposure of people diagnosed with mesothelioma from 1 July 2010.
Methods
Notifications of mesothelioma are provided by the state and territory cancer registries and directly from patients. Patient eligibility is confirmed by clinicians. Eligible patients are invited to complete an exposure assessment involving a postal questionnaire (lifetime work and residential histories) and structured telephone interview.
Results
In 2016:
- There were 700 new cases of mesothelioma – 80% were male.
- The age-standardised incidence rate was 2.5 cases per 100,000 population – male and female age-standardised rates were 4.2 and 0.9 per 100,000 respectively.
- The annual age-specific rates increased with age – rates were highest for males aged 85+ years (52.9 per 100,000).
- 575 deaths of people with mesothelioma in 2016 had been notified to the AMR. The age-standardised mortality rate for mesothelioma was 2.0 per 100,000 population.
- 701 patients completed the questionnaire and telephone interview since 1 July 2010, of whom 60% had ‘possible’ or ‘probable’ occupational asbestos exposure, 81% had ‘possible’ or ‘probable’ non-occupational exposure and 93% had both.
Conclusions
- The AMR provides valuable information on relationships between mesothelioma incidence and patterns of asbestos exposure in Australia. As the number of patients on the registry increases, the AMR will provide useful analysis to assist with the development of policies and it will become a credible and accessible resource for research.
Note: It is anticipated that by the time of presentation, the information on the incidence of mesothelioma will be updated to 2017.