title: [Mesothelioma and acceleration].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taking a publication by Berry in 2007 (3) as a cue, this paper presents in didactic form the topic of acceleration of events as a consequence of a harmful exposure and extends the proposed approach to the case of the asbestos-mesothelioma relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  Berry's approach was applied to lung cancer and mesothelioma data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effects of the acceleration of events are presented as a function of age at onset in exposed subjects, relative risk, scale factor, in addition to age and geographical variability of the relationship between age and mesothelioma rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The discussion regards the general characteristics of the method of acceleration, its meaning and interpretation, and the difficulties associated with its application in the context of diseases with low occurrence; the conditions, applicability constraints, and specific results in the case of mesothelioma; the epidemiologic meaning of acceleration and the difficulties of its extension to individual subjects.
authors.affiliation: ReSiSS Ricerche e Studi in Sanità e Salute. carlo.zocchetti@libero.it.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zocchetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002273:Carcinogens; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D001194:Asbestos