- Mesothelioma
- Mesothelioma Facts
- Mesothelioma Symptoms
- Mesothelioma Awareness
- Mesothelioma Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma Causes
- Mesothelioma Risk Factors
- Mesothelioma Incidence
- Mesothelioma Diagnosis
- Mesothelioma Tests
- Mesothelioma Biopsy
- Mesothelioma Blood Test
- Mesothelioma Pathology
- Mesothelioma Prognosis
- Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
- Mesothelioma Life Span
- Mesothelioma Survival Rate
- Mesothelioma Survivors
- Mesothelioma Death Rate
- Mesothelioma Types
- Pleural Mesothelioma
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma
- Pericardial Mesothelioma
- Well-Differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma
- Malignant Mesothelioma
- Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
- Biphasic Mesothelioma
- Epithelial Mesothelioma
- Mesothelioma Staging
- Mesothelioma Metastasis
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
The average mesothelioma life expectancy ranges between four and 18 months after diagnosis. The prognosis varies from patient to patient and reports show that approximately 40 percent of patients survive at least a year while 10 percent will live five years or more. Due to the lack of a cure, mesothelioma patients may try experimental treatments to improve their life expectancy.
What Affects Life Expectancy?
Each mesothelioma case will be individually evaluated by a patient’s physician and a prognosis will be assigned based on several factors, including:
- Type of Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma cases are classified into three categories depending on the location of the tumor. Pleural mesothelioma, affecting the lining of the lungs, is the most common type. As a result, a wider body of knowledge exists to maximize the effectiveness of treatments for pleural mesothelioma patients. The other forms, peritoneal and pericardial, affect the linings of the abdomen and the heart and are less common.
- Stage of Mesothelioma – As with all cancers, the advancement of a patient’s mesothelioma is indicated by a classification as one of four stages with Stage 1 being the least threatening and Stage 4 being the most severe. Unlike other cancers, mesothelioma symptoms generally arise very slowly, up to 50 years after the original asbestos exposure. This long latency period often results in a late diagnosis and seldom is the cancer diagnosed in an early stage where curative treatments are effective.
- Age at Time of Diagnosis – Mesothelioma’s long latency period generally causes symptoms to emerge later in life. The average age of a mesothelioma patient is 60, while more than 75 percent of diagnoses are given to men older than 55. Older patients often deal with other age-related health complications that can further complicate treatment.
- Smoker Status – Patients who are non-smokers generally have a much higher life expectancy than those who do smoke.
- Chosen Treatment – While palliative treatments to relieve symptoms are more prominent in later stages of the disease, patients may elect to receive combative treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Multimodality treatment, the combination of two or more such treatment options, is generally more effective than a singular therapy in patients whose health will support a more aggressive treatment.
Improving Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
As the medical community continues to research mesothelioma, the knowledge surrounding this disease expands and new treatments are brought to attention. Clinical trials are one such way that new therapies are tested, many of which have led to promising alternative treatments. Many hospitals and clinics sponsor these trials for patients interested in participating in the advancement of medical knowledge surrounding mesothelioma cancer.