A doença é mais comum em homens (razão de homens/mulheres de cerca de 3:1) e pessoas brancas, e geralmente ocorre em idosos (sexta a nona década de vida).[3]Larson T, Melnikova N, Davis SI, et al. Incidence and descriptive epidemiology of mesothelioma in the United States, 1999-2002. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2007 Oct-Dec;13(4):398-403.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18085053?tool=bestpractice.com
[4]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Malignant mesothelioma mortality - United States, 1999-2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2009 Apr 24;58(15):393-6.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a3.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19390506?tool=bestpractice.com
Nos EUA, a incidência de mesotelioma aumentou entre 1970 e 2000, mas parece que agora se estabilizou.[5]Price B, Ware A. Mesothelioma trends in the United States: an update based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program data for 1973 through 2003. Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Jan 15;159(2):107-12.
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/159/2/107/166453
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14718210?tool=bestpractice.com
Nos EUA, há cerca de 3200 novos casos de mesotelioma pleural maligno todos os anos (aproximadamente 1 por 100,000 pessoas).[6]Henley SJ, Larson TC, Wu M, et al. Mesothelioma incidence in 50 states and the District of Columbia, United States, 2003-2008. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2013 Jan-Mar;19(1):1-10.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23582609?tool=bestpractice.com
[7]National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Mesothelioma: recent trends in SEER age-adjusted incidence rates, 2000-2020. Observed SEER incidence rate by sex, all races/ethnicities, all ages, all stages. SEER*Explorer: an interactive website for SEER cancer statistics. Jun 2023 [internet publication].
https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer/application.html?site=111&data_type=1&graph_type=2&compareBy=sex&chk_sex_1=1&chk_sex_3=3&chk_sex_2=2&hdn_rate_type=1&race=1&age_range=1&stage=101&advopt_precision=1&advopt_show_ci=on&hdn_view=0&advopt_show_apc=on&advopt_display=2
A mortalidade anual nos EUA devida ao mesotelioma pleural maligno aumentou de 2479 em 1999 para 2597 em 2015.[8]Mazurek JM, Syamlal G, Wood JM, et al. Malignant mesothelioma mortality - United States, 1999-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Mar 3;66(8):214-8.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6608a3.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28253224?tool=bestpractice.com
A mortalidade global varia muito, abrangendo desde 0.5 morte por milhão no Brasil e no Equador até 31 mortes por milhão no Reino Unido. Essa variação provavelmente reflete as disparidades entre países no uso e na regulamentação do asbesto.[9]Nishikawa K, Takahashi K, Karjalainen A, et al. Recent mortality from pleural mesothelioma, historical patterns of asbestos use, and adoption of bans: a global assessment. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Dec;116(12):1675-80.
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.11272
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19079719?tool=bestpractice.com