Epidemiological, therapeutic, and survival trends in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A review of the National Cancer Database

Abstract Background Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer of the cells lining the pleural cavity with a low overall incidence. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) released in August 2022 updated data that reflect the newest trends in MPM. Methods The NCDB was queried for patients diagnosed with MPM between 2004 and 2020. Variables collected included demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment. Student's t‐test and independent‐samples proportions test were used for means analysis. Survival was assessed by the Kaplan–Meier method using SPSS version 28. Results A total of 41,074 patients were diagnosed with mesothelioma, with a steady incidence (0.25%) between 2004 and 2017. The mean age of diagnosis was 70 (SD 13). 73.2% of the patients were males, 69% had no comorbidities, and 93.3% were white. More patients were diagnosed at Stage 1 after 2008 (p