Asbestos is one of the major worldwide occupational
carcinogens. The global burden of
asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) was estimated around 231,000 cases/year. Italy was one of the main European
asbestos producers until the 1992 ban. The WHO recommended national programs, including epidemiological surveillance, to eliminate ARDs. The present paper shows the estimate of the burden of mortality from ARDs in Italy, established for the first time. National standardized rates of mortality from
mesothelioma and
asbestosis and their temporal trends, based on the National Institute of Statistics database, were computed. Deaths from
lung cancer attributable to
asbestos exposure were estimated using population-based case-control studies.
Asbestos-related lung and
ovarian cancer deaths attributable to occupational exposure were estimated, considering the Italian occupational cohort studies. In the 2010-2016 period, 4400 deaths/year attributable to
asbestos were estimated: 1515 from
mesothelioma, 58 from
asbestosis, 2830 from lung and 16 from
ovarian cancers. The estimates based on occupational cohorts showed that each year 271 deaths from
mesothelioma, 302 from
lung cancer and 16 from
ovarian cancer were attributable to occupational
asbestos exposure in industrial sectors with high
asbestos levels. The important health impact of
asbestos in Italy, 10-25 years after the ban, was highlighted. These results suggest the need for appropriate interventions in terms of prevention, health care and social security at the local level and could contribute to the global estimate of ARDs.