Mesothelioma Cancer Prognosis
Once an individual is diagnosed with mesothelioma or any form of cancer, the first query that his/her doctor has to address is how long he/she will survive. The question is a tough one to raise, but patients will eventually seek a definite life expectancy timeline. It is difficult for the oncologist to offer a precise answer to the query since cases are sometimes known to turnaround unpredictably. Some of the bleakest mesothelioma cases have transformed into miraculous recoveries and on the harsher side, cases that didn't appear so bad initially have resulted in untimely deaths.
Unfortunately, mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that is also characterized by a long latency period. This makes it difficult to detect the disease until it has reached the advanced stages. The cells can lie dormant for up to five decades without the patient experiencing any prominent symptoms for mesothelioma. In general, prognosis for mesothelioma has not been very encouraging and its post-prognosis survival rate is pegged at an average of one or two years. However, the situation is likely to change in the coming years as more and more advancements are being made in the field of mesothelioma treatments.
There are a large number of factors that can determine a mesothelioma patient's prognosis including the type of mesothelioma the individual is suffering from, the location and size of the tumor, the stage at which the disease is detected, the patient's overall health and whether the cancerous cells have metastasized from the main location to other parts of the body.
Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma can be classified into three distinct forms: sarcomatoid, epithelial and a combination of the two. Epithelial mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease with about 50% of all cases following into its category. Approximately 15% of mesothelioma patients are diagnosed with sacromatoid mesothelioma and 35% of them suffer from a combination of sacromatoid and epithelial. Patients diagnosed with ephithelial mesothelioma have a higher survival rate compared to other forms.
Stages of Mesothelioma
The prognosis is largely affected by the stage at which the mesothelioma is detected. Diagnosis in the earlier stages makes it easier to administer curative treatments to surgically remove the tumor from the patient's body along with other methods to prevent the cancerous cells from spreading in the body. Sadly, owing to its long latency period, mesothelioma is generally not detected until Stage 3 or 4. The most prominent symptoms start appearing only in the advanced stages, when palliative treatments (treatments aimed at reducing the discomfort of the patient and improving the quality of his life) are more appropriate then curative treatments.
Location of the Tumor
Pleural mesothelioma (which attacks the lining of the patient's lungs) is the most common form of the disease and also has the most favorable survival rate among all other forms. Peritoneal Mesothelioma (found in the abdominal lining) is diagnosed in about 15% of all mesothelioma cases and is more difficult to treat.