What is the Prognosis for Mesothelioma Patients? - In trying to determine the expected course of a diagnosis, and the ultimate prognosis for the patient, much is based on the stage of the cancer. Though treatment options exist at both early and late stages, in most cases those whose condition is diagnosed earliest have the best overall chances of surviving the disease.

Still, there are many factors that can determine the outcome of a particular case, including the type of cancer, the type of cell that the mesothelioma is made up of, the stage at the time of diagnosis, and the patient’s overall health. Working with the right medical team is another aspect of care that may impact the expected outcome for a patient.

In general, the survival rate after a mesothelioma diagnosis is around 18 months. This is not a set rule, however. There are a number of mesothelioma patients who adopted a healthy diet, a stress-free lifestyle, and an exercise plan that has helped them surpass the odds. In fact, some people diagnosed with mesothelioma have lived 10 years or more after diagnosis.

According to a 2015 meta-study, people with peritoneal mesothelioma have longer survival rates than those with pleural mesothelioma, which is likely due to innovative forms of treatment. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a new form of treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma patients that delivers concentrated, heated chemotherapy into the abdominal area. It allows the patient to have higher doses of chemotherapy, which in turn, has improved pericardial mesothelioma survival rates.

Survival rates greatly depend on the type of treatment received. There’s no scientific study that definitely states survival rates according to treatment, but independent studies done on both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma show that a combination of treatments can extend survival rates.

For pleural mesothelioma, patients had a higher survival rate when they underwent pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) and extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), along with chemotherapy. Peritoneal mesothelioma patients had a higher survival rate when they underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and HIPEC, with systematic chemotherapy. More studies are needed to understand treatment plans and survival rates for the other types of mesothelioma.

Genetics can also play a factor in prognosis. Mesothelioma patients who have genetic mutations of BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) tend to have higher survival rates than those who don’t have the mutations. Additionally, the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database states that women with mesothelioma typically have a longer survival rate of 5 years when compared to men.

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