"Research on the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma from asbestos exposure has been widely conducted in countries of the European Union such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, and Austria. These studies greatly contributed to the elucidation of the carcinogenic risk among groups of occupationally exposed workers. More recently, research has been conducted on additional aspects of the carcinogenic effect of asbestos, namely, the current trends and future course of asbestos-related cancer mortality and the role of risk factors other than asbestos. A workshop on on-going and future projects on asbestos-related diseases in Europe was held at the French National School of Public Health, Paris, on 4-5 December 1997. Thirty-five researchers from 12 countries (see the list of participants at the end of this report) discussed current topics in asbestos research and identified research needs for future epidemiologic studies. This report summarizes the major topics discussed at the workshop and presents the recommendations for future research at the European level. While the primary focus was on the issue of predicting the future burden of asbestos-related cancer, several other relevant issues were also addressed. A few of the meeting presentations addressed recent trends in mesothelioma mortality and incidence in Europe. Merler reviewed current trends in mortality due to primary pleural cancer [code 163 of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9)] in western Europe from 1968 to 1994 in individual countries and in groups of countries. Among men in most countries, a clear increase in mortality is observed with a common pattern. The age-specific mortality rates increase exponentially with age and the birth-cohort-specific risks show a steady increase with the highest risks in the birth cohorts after 1945. However among women, at best, only a slight increase in mortality is observed, and mortality patterns differ substantially among western European countries. In some countries the birth-cohort-specific risk has increased steadily over time but more often the risk appears to be constant or even decreased over time. .."

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