Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy for a mesothelioma patient ranges from 12 to 21 months, depending on a variety of factors, such as the stage in which the patient was first diagnosed with cancer. About 40 percent of mesothelioma patients survive one year, and 20 percent live more than two years.
Staging and Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Increasingly, people who have aggressive asbestos-related cancer find their lives being measured in years — not months. Improved therapies and emerging drug combinations offer newly diagnosed patients a reason to hope and spend more time with their loved ones.
Given the progressive nature of the disease, staging plays an important role in determining a mesothelioma patient's life expectancy.
Stage Median Life Expectancy
I 21 months
II 19 months
III 16 months
IV 12 months
Experts say generalized life expectancy predictions are almost impossible to make because each case is so different, but the news is slowly getting better.
Extending Life Expectancy
Today, patients live longer than ever before. Some survive three, five, even 10 years and beyond their original prognosis, providing inspirational comeback stories of other potential survivors. The disease can change you forever, but many survivors continue to lead active lives, traveling and doing activities with grandkids and other loved ones.
Cutting-Edge Treatment
Exceptions are becoming the rule, with the advent of genetic therapy, immunotherapy, and today's multimodal treatments. Ongoing clinical trials are changing the perception of mesothelioma.
Specialized Care
Specialty cancer centers give patients the best chance at survival. That's why finding a specialist with experience in treating the disease is the first step toward increasing your life expectancy.
Factors That Affect Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
What influences how long you live after being diagnosed with mesothelioma? Factors that affect life expectancy include the stage of cancer, tumor location, and cell type as well as non-tumor factors such as age, sex, blood characteristics and general health.
Tumor-Related Factors
The stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis, tumor cell type, and the location of the tumor are known as tumor-related factors. These factors influence the type of treatment options you have available to you.
Staging
Staging refers to how far cancer has progressed at the time of the diagnosis. The exact stage of cancer has the highest impact on life expectancy. Unfortunately, most patients are not diagnosed until stage III or IV because symptoms can remain hidden, but the earlier the cancer is caught, the better the prognosis and expected survival rate.
Stage 1 Mesothelioma
Stage I mesothelioma is localized and life expectancy is significantly improved compared to stage III or IV cancer.
Staging
Staging refers to how far cancer has progressed at the time of the diagnosis. The exact stage of cancer has the highest impact on life expectancy. Unfortunately, most patients are not diagnosed until stage III or IV because symptoms can remain hidden, but the earlier the cancer is caught, the better the prognosis and expected survival rate.
Stage 1 Mesothelioma
Stage I mesothelioma is localized and life expectancy is significantly improved compared to stage III or IV cancer.
Tumor Location
Different types of mesothelioma have identified the location and that placement can affect life expectancy. Tumors that initially form in the lung lining are called pleural mesotheliomas and average survival is around eight months if left untreated. Tumors that form in the abdominal lining are called peritoneal mesotheliomas and average survival is around six months if left untreated.
Treatment can extend survival for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, the two most common types of cancer. People with pleural mesothelioma can live longer than a year with chemotherapy. Some early stage patients who undergo multimodal treatment with surgery can live beyond two or three years. People with peritoneal mesothelioma who undergo surgery and heated chemotherapy can live longer than three years.
The rarest types of mesothelioma affect the heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and testicles (testicular mesothelioma). Average survival for pericardial mesothelioma is around six to 10 months. People with testicular mesothelioma live at least two years on average.
Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma typically have a longer life expectancy.
Staging
Staging refers to how far cancer has progressed at the time of the diagnosis. The exact stage of cancer has the highest impact on life expectancy. Unfortunately, most patients are not diagnosed until stage III or IV because symptoms can remain hidden, but the earlier the cancer is caught, the better the prognosis and expected survival rate.
Stage 1 Mesothelioma
Stage I mesothelioma is localized and life expectancy is significantly improved compared to stage III or IV cancer.
Tumor Location
Different types of mesothelioma have identified the location and that placement can affect life expectancy. Tumors that initially form in the lung lining are called pleural mesotheliomas and average survival is around eight months if left untreated. Tumors that form in the abdominal lining are called peritoneal mesotheliomas and average survival is around six months if left untreated.
Treatment can extend survival for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, the two most common types of cancer. People with pleural mesothelioma can live longer than a year with chemotherapy. Some early stage patients who undergo multimodal treatment with surgery can live beyond two or three years. People with peritoneal mesothelioma who undergo surgery and heated chemotherapy can live longer than three years.
The rarest types of mesothelioma affect the heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and testicles (testicular mesothelioma). Average survival for pericardial mesothelioma is around six to 10 months. People with testicular mesothelioma live at least two years on average.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma typically have a longer life expectancy.
Cell Type
Certain types of cells that make up a mesothelioma tumor respond better to treatment than others. Tumors made up primarily of epithelial cells respond best to treatment, and patients with this cell type have a better life expectancy. In contrast, tumors made up primarily of the sarcomatoid cell type or the biphasic (mixed) cell type are more difficult to treat and are associated with a shorter life expectancy.
Epithelial Cells
Tumors made up primarily of epithelial cells respond best to treatment.
Treatment and Life Expectancy
In developing a treatment strategy, your doctor will choose treatments that he or she believes will have the most positive impact on your life expectancy with the least physical side effects. He or she will take into account all the factors and develop a treatment strategy that will balance risk versus reward.
Treatment and Life Expectancy
In developing a treatment strategy, your doctor will choose treatments that he or she believes will have the most positive impact on your life expectancy with the least physical side effects. He or she will take into account all the factors and develop a treatment strategy that will balance risk versus reward.
(Credits: Abestos.com)
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(Credits: Abestos.com)
Tags :mesothelioma life expectancy stage,mesothelioma symptoms,mesothelioma pictures,mesothelioma causes,mesothelioma survival rate,mesothelioma life expectancy after diagnosis,asbestos,peritoneal mesothelioma,
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