Table 1

Main characteristics of malignant mesothelioma cases (n=21,398) collected by the Italian national mesothelioma register (ReNaM) by cancer site and gender. Italy, incidence period: 1993–2012

	Pleural			Peritoneal			Pericardial
	Females	Males	F/M	Females	Males	F/M	Females	Males	F/M
Age classes
<44	100	213	0.47	39	52	0.75	1	6	0.17
45–64	1375	4281	0.32*	203	284	0.71	6	10	0.60
65–84	3516	9182	0.38	314	467	0.67	8	19	0.42
>85	505	783	0.64*	19	14	1.36	1	–	–
Period of diagnosis
1993–1997	533	1511	0.35	66	93	0.71	3	5	0.60
1998–2002	1381	3610	0.38	144	189	0.76	6	13	0.46
2003–2007	1826	4712	0.39	192	271	0.71	5	7	0.71
2008–2012	1756	4626	0.38	173	264	0.66	2	10	0.20
Diagnostic certainty
MM certain	4144	11 705	0.35*	473	685	0.69	12	27	0.44
MM probable	660	1329	0.50*	81	85	0.95*	2	7	0.29
MM possible	692	1425	0.49*	21	47	0.45	2	1	2.00
Morphology
Epithelioid	3038	7733	0.39	301	478	0.63	5	12	0.42
Fibrous	313	1244	0.25*	21	31	0.68	2	3	0.67
Bifphasic	513	1654	0.31*	72	65	1.11*	4	5	0.80
MM NOS	683	1805	0.38	141	154	0.92*	3	11	0.27
Not available	949	2023	0.47*	40	89	0.45*	2	4	0.50
Asbestos exposure†
Occupational	1321	9525	0.14*	132	444	0.30*	4	18	0.22
Non-occupational	1151	492	2.34*	75	27	2.78*	1	–	–
Familial	632	106	5.96*	43	4	10.75*	–	–	–
Environmental	368	285	1.29*	24	16	1.50*	1	–	–
Leisure activities	151	101	1.50*	8	7	1.14	–	–
Unknown, not probable	1497	1450	1.03*	184	124	1.48*	9	4	2.25*
Total	3969	11 467	0.35	391	595	0.66	14	22	0.64
Not available	1527	2992	0.51	184	222	0.83	2	13	0.15
Overall	5496	14 459	0.38	575	817	0.70	16	35	0.46

*Gender ratio significantly different from the overall value (p<0.05).
†Asbestos exposure is available for 16 458 MM cases.