Malignant Mesothelioma Mortality—United States, 1999-2005

Malignant mesothelioma is a fatal cancer primarily associated with exposure to asbestos. The latency period between first exposure to asbestos and clinical disease usually is 20-40 years. Although asbestos is no longer mined in the US, the mineral is still imported, and a substantial amount of asbestos remaining in buildings eventually will be removed, either during remediation or demolition. Currently, an estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry workers potentially are being exposed to asbestos. To characterize mortality attributed to mesothelioma, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed annual multiple-cause-of-death records for 1999-2005, the most recent years for which complete data are available. Here, Bang et al identify malignant mesothelioma deaths for 1999-2005 from death certificates and included any deaths for which International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes.