Initially, we extracted the numbers of mesothelioma cancer registrations and mesothelioma deaths nationally for 2004 from the Cancer Information System (CIS), which provides cancer registration and cancer mortality data from the whole of England. Thereafter, we extracted cancer registrations of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma in the South East of England area between 2000 and 2004 from the Thames Cancer Registry database. Patients who had cause of death specified on the death certificate were identified and used for the analysis. The deaths were classified hierarchically as follows: Firstly, we identified death certificates that mentioned mesothelioma as one of the causes of death. Secondly, among the remaining death certificates, we identified those that mentioned lung cancer as a cause of death. Third, among the now remaining death certificates, we identified those that mentioned an unspecified cancer as a cause of death. Last, there remained a group of death certificates that included no mention of mesothelioma, lung cancer or unspecified cancer….. Read more…