The study projects that mesothelioma deaths in Western Europe will nearly double over the next 20 years, from 5,000 in 1998 to about 9,000 by 2018, with a total of about 250,000 deaths over the next 35 years. Men born around 1945–50 face the highest risk, with about 1 in 150 dying from mesothelioma. Asbestos use in Western Europe remained high until 1980, and substantial quantities are still used in several European countries. The projections are based on a model fitting age and birth cohort data from 1970–1989 for six countries (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Switzerland), which account for 72% of Western Europe's population. The model was tested against observed data from 1990–1994. The ratio of mesothelioma to pleural cancer mortality is 1.6:1 in Britain but assumed to be 1:1 in other countries. Mesothelioma is almost always fatal, and past cohort mortality patterns provide reliable predictions for future trends. In Britain, the worst-affected cohorts were born in the late 1940s, with a peak incidence around 2020. In contrast, the worst-affected American generation was born in the late 1920s, with a peak before 2000. The study analyzed trends in male pleural cancer mortality for Britain and six other European countries to predict mesothelioma trends over the next 30 years. The study used data from the World Health Organization (WHO) database, including death rates and population data for European countries. Age-specific death rates were analyzed in 5-year calendar periods and 5-year age groups. A log-linear Poisson model was used to estimate the effects of age and birth cohort. The model was validated by comparing observed and predicted death numbers since 1990. The study found that the ratio of mesothelioma to pleural cancer mortality varies between countries, with Britain having a higher ratio than France. The study also found that the proportion of mesothelioma deaths coded as pleural cancer varies between countries, with Britain having a higher proportion than France. The study suggests that the overall mesothelioma mortality rate in France is about 127% of the pleural cancer mortality rate. The study concludes that the mesothelioma epidemic in Western Europe is expected to continue, with a peak in the 2015–19 period, and that the risk to men born around 1945–50 is particularly high. The study also notes that the risk to men born since 1955 is not well understood, and thatThe study projects that mesothelioma deaths in Western Europe will nearly double over the next 20 years, from 5,000 in 1998 to about 9,000 by 2018, with a total of about 250,000 deaths over the next 35 years. Men born around 1945–50 face the highest risk, with about 1 in 150 dying from mesothelioma. Asbestos use in Western Europe remained high until 1980, and substantial quantities are still used in several European countries. The projections are based on a model fitting age and birth cohort data from 1970–1989 for six countries (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Switzerland), which account for 72% of Western Europe's population. The model was tested against observed data from 1990–1994. The ratio of mesothelioma to pleural cancer mortality is 1.6:1 in Britain but assumed to be 1:1 in other countries. Mesothelioma is almost always fatal, and past cohort mortality patterns provide reliable predictions for future trends. In Britain, the worst-affected cohorts were born in the late 1940s, with a peak incidence around 2020. In contrast, the worst-affected American generation was born in the late 1920s, with a peak before 2000. The study analyzed trends in male pleural cancer mortality for Britain and six other European countries to predict mesothelioma trends over the next 30 years. The study used data from the World Health Organization (WHO) database, including death rates and population data for European countries. Age-specific death rates were analyzed in 5-year calendar periods and 5-year age groups. A log-linear Poisson model was used to estimate the effects of age and birth cohort. The model was validated by comparing observed and predicted death numbers since 1990. The study found that the ratio of mesothelioma to pleural cancer mortality varies between countries, with Britain having a higher ratio than France. The study also found that the proportion of mesothelioma deaths coded as pleural cancer varies between countries, with Britain having a higher proportion than France. The study suggests that the overall mesothelioma mortality rate in France is about 127% of the pleural cancer mortality rate. The study concludes that the mesothelioma epidemic in Western Europe is expected to continue, with a peak in the 2015–19 period, and that the risk to men born around 1945–50 is particularly high. The study also notes that the risk to men born since 1955 is not well understood, and that