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The Western Australian Mesothelioma Registry: Analysis of 60 years of cases
April 2024
Author: Fraser Brims, Nick de Klerk, Chellan Kumarasamy, Lalitha Menon, Nola Olsen and Peter Franklin
Comment by Mark Lavercombe: In this report of a series of almost 2800 patients reported to the Western Australian Mesothelioma Registry (WAMR) with mesothelioma over a period of 60 years, changes in exposure and survival can be seen over time. In particular, median survival has more than doubled from 156 days in 1960-1979 to 360 days in 2010-2020. Most men with mesothelioma worked in building or construction (31%). Do-it-yourself (DIY) & home renovation activities are the largest identified source of asbestos exposure in women with mesothelioma in this registry, accounting for 22% of cases. Thankfully, the data appears to show a reduction in incident rate ratio for DIY home renovation cases since a peak in 2005-2009.
Medical Education Editor for Respirology
Dr Mark Lavercombe was appointed in this specialist editor role in 2021 to further expand and strengthen Respirology’s contribution to medical education.
Located in Melbourne, Australia, he works as a clinician in respiratory health and sleep disorders at Western Health and is affiliated with The University of Melbourne as a distinguished expert in medical education.
He became a member of our Editorial Board in 2016 with the responsibility of selecting new Respirology publications with educational value, which has grown into a curated article selection featured on this page, as a benefit to APSR members.
Dr Lavercombe also authors a column in Respirology on his most recent choices and their specific value to continued medical education for our readers around the world.
