The Pleural Mesothelioma Cases and Mortality in Portugal in 2014–2020: A Descriptive Study

Institutional Review Board Statement: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki [32] and approved by the Ethics Committee of the National School of Public Health (n.º 22/2023) on 26 July 2023, and by the Ethics Committee of the Porto Portuguese School of Oncology (CES.129/023) on 14 September 2023. Informed Consent Statement: The Ethics Committee of the National School of Public Health (No. 22/2023) and the Ethics Committee of the Porto Portuguese School of Oncology (CES.129/023) approved this study and waived the need for written informed consent from participants, since the data would be anonymized and provided directly by the data protection officers of the national databases under study, which is in line with the national legislation and databases requirements. Background: The incidence and mortality of pleural mesothelioma (PM) reflect the production and consumption of asbestos over time. However, despite the current global concern, these data remain to be known. Objective: Our aim was to carry out a descriptive analysis of PM cases and mortality from some Portuguese databases between 2014 and 2020. Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out between 2014 and 2020. Data on the number of PM cases were provided by the Portuguese Cancer Registry, and data on mortality were from the Portuguese Death Certificate Information System. Results: Between 2014 and 2020, 315 cases of PM were reported, with 222 (70.5%) men. The average age of patients was 72.1, with the highest number of cases in patients aged >70 years (n = 198; 62.9%). The highest number of cases was reported in 2018 (n = 62; 19.7%). Regarding mortality, 169 deaths were reported, with 126 (74.6%) men and mostly in individuals aged >70 years (n = 109; 64.5%). It is estimated that around 520 years of potential life were lost. The highest number of deaths occurred in 2015 (n = 33; 19.5%). Conclusion: It is mandatory to reinforce the need for surveillance programs that allow us to gather real and reliable data and eliminate asbestos-related diseases.