Mesothelioma Prognosis| Improve Prognosis after a Diagnosis |stage of mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Prognosis Varies by Individual

The prognosis for a mesothelioma diagnosis is most often poor, but there are always individual differences. Factors like the stage, the type of mesothelioma, the cell type found in the tumor, overall health, age, and others, help determine how a patient will likely fare with treatment and what the life expectancy may be.

In most cases patients should expect to get a disappointing prognosis. Mesothelioma is often diagnosed in later stages because it is rare and causes symptoms that seem like those of more common illnesses; it is an aggressive cancer that spreads quickly and metastasizes readily; it also forms more small tumors, making removal of all cancerous tissue very challenging. All of these combine to give most patients a poor prognosis for life expectancy after diagnosis.

Average Survival Rates

Survival rate is a statistic that doctors can use to determine the prognosis for an individual patient. It is just one factor that helps come up with the most accurate prognosis possible. A five-year survival rate is a typical statistic for any type of cancer, including mesothelioma, and it refers to the percentage of patients that live five years or longer after an initial diagnosis.

The survival rates can be used to help determine prognosis because they are based on large numbers of patients. This provides a fairly accurate average that can be used to figure out each patient’s general prognosis. Considering individual factors, the general prognosis can be made more specific. It is important to remember that survival rate is an average and that every individual’s expected survival time will be different.

Overall, survival rates are not very high for mesothelioma. Younger patients have a better outlook. One large study, for instance, found that 37 percent of patients younger than 45 survived five or more years after a mesothelioma diagnosis. For those over 45 the survival rate at five years was significantly lower, at only 20 percent.

The Challenges of Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose. This causes delayed diagnoses and misdiagnoses in many patients and adds to the overall negative prognosis that many receive. By the time an accurate diagnosis is made, too many patients are already in the advanced stages of mesothelioma and treatment has been delayed too long to be life-saving or curative.

There are several reasons that mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose and has a poor prognosis. One is the long latency period of the disease. It can take decades for symptoms to be noticeable after being exposed to asbestos. Also, the symptoms that do eventually appear are very similar to less serious diseases that are more common. Symptoms like difficult and painful breathing can seem like pneumonia or chronic bronchitis. Even when cancer is diagnosed, it may appear to be lung cancer initially.

Prognosis by Type

Cell type is an important factor in treatment and outcome for mesothelioma. Also important is the initial location of the tumor.

Patients who have been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma generally have a longer survival rate than do those with pleural mesothelioma, for instance. Pericardial mesothelioma, on the other hand usually has a worse prognosis because it is so difficult to treat.

Testicular mesothelioma, although very rare, is not usually as serious as the other types. Surgery to remove the tumor often cures the cancer and these patients have better outcomes than those with pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial mesothelioma.

The identification of mesothelioma cell type also impacts treatment and prognosis:

Epithelial cells tend to stick to each other and don’t spread to other areas as readily as sarcomatoid cells do. This type is easier to treat and has better outcomes.

Sarcomatoid cells  spread more readily. This type of mesothelioma is always given a worse prognosis than epithelioid.

Biphasic is a designation given to tumors with a mix of both types of cells. The prognosis depends on whether the tumor has a greater proportion of sarcomatoid or epithelioid cells.

Staging and Prognosis

The staging of mesothelioma describes how far the original cancer has spread in the body. A prognosis will differ depending on the stage. Stage I mesothelioma comes with a better prognosis than stage II, and so on. Doctors stage mesothelioma by examining the primary tumor, the lymph nodes, and other tissues to which the cancer may have spread. The farther the original tumor has spread, the poorer the prognosis will be.

Based on patients treated for pleural mesothelioma between 1995 and 2009 the American Cancer Society has determined the median five-year survival rates for mesothelioma by stage. This is a median, so patients with each stage may have a better or worse outlook depending on various individual factors.

The following are the median survival times for patients given a diagnosis at each stage of mesothelioma:

• Stage I. 21 months
• Stage II. 19 months
• Stage III. 16 months
• Stage IV. 12 months

Other Factors That Affect Prognosis

Research into mesothelioma indicate that it isn’t just cell type, stage, and cancer type that determine prognosis and survival time. Age, gender, and the extent of exposure to asbestos can also play an important role in outlook. Lifestyle choices that impact health can be particularly important, especially smoking. One of the best things a mesothelioma patient can do for a better outcome is to quit smoking.

Treatment plans also affect prognosis and outcome. Patients who are eligible for and choose surgery are likely to have longer survival times. More aggressive treatments, such as surgery to remove an entire lung, come with unique and serious risks but can also extend a patient’s life.

Be Proactive to Improve Prognosis

By far the best way to get a better prognosis for mesothelioma is to get an early diagnosis and to begin aggressive treatment right away. Not everyone can do this, as many victims did not realize they were exposed to asbestos. If you even suspect you may have been exposed, take steps now to learn more, get screened, and monitor symptoms. Talk to your doctor about any symptoms that trouble you and about regular cancer screenings.

If you have symptoms that could be related to mesothelioma, see your doctor right away. Let your doctor know that you have been exposed to mesothelioma. Otherwise you are likely to be diagnosed with other conditions that have similar symptoms. A delayed diagnosis or a misdiagnosis will affect your prognosis, so take the important step of watching for symptoms and acting on them. If your doctor doesn’t take you seriously, or you believe you have been misdiagnosed, seek a second opinion.

How to Improve Prognosis after a Diagnosis

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there are some steps you can take to improve your overall chances of long-term survival and to improve your prognosis. One of the most important steps that you can take is to put your treatment into the hands of a top-rated mesothelioma specialist who has extensive experience and resources available to provide you with state-of-the-art advanced care at a highly ranked cancer center.

Start Treatment Immediately

Putting together a treatment plan as soon as possible and putting it into action is crucial in improving a prognosis. There are many different treatment options and you have a choice as to whether or not you want to be aggressive in attacking the cancer. Some people choose to get treatment that will make them more comfortable for the rest of their lives, while others want to extend the prognosis at all costs.

Combine Therapies

Typical treatments for mesothelioma that can extend the life expectancy include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Some patients cannot have surgery, but they can be given chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink tumors and slow the rate at which they spread. For those who can have surgery done to debulk, or remove as much tumor tissue as possible, it is often followed by chemotherapy and radiation to eliminate even more of the cancerous tissue.

Participate in Clinical Trials

Another approach to extending the life expectancy of a patient after a mesothelioma diagnosis is to try new therapies. Some of these may be unproven. For instance, you can get involved in a clinical trial for a new therapy or medication. These tests are to determine the safety and the efficacy of new treatments and patients with terminal conditions are usually chosen to be a part of the trials. There are risks associated with clinical trials, but they can also lead to unexpected positive results.

Try Alternative and Complimentary Medicine

While treatment and working with specialists is most important, other factors can potentially improve your prognosis. Make healthy lifestyle choices such as quitting smoking, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight. Try alternative therapies to complement traditional treatment, such as acupuncture or aromatherapy.

Living with a Negative Prognosis

Being given a poor prognosis after being diagnosed with an aggressive cancer like mesothelioma is devastating to most people. If you are facing this situation, you have important choices to make. Even if you choose to be aggressive with treatment, your prognosis is still likely to be disappointing. Now you have to live with that prognosis, and that won’t be easy.

Support from Friends and Family

There are some steps you can take to help cope with your mesothelioma prognosis. The first and most important thing you need is to have support. Keep your family and friends close and let them help you. Let them lend a shoulder to cry on, someone to shout at, or just someone to be there when you feel you can’t be alone. If you have the people you love around you, the prognosis will be much easier to live with.

Connect with Other Asbestos Victims

As much as that support system may be there for you and willing to help you, they can’t fully understand what you are going through. In addition to having these loved ones in your life, it also helps to have connections with other people struggling with cancer and mesothelioma. Look for a support group that you can meet with, even if only online, to talk about your shared feelings and experiences. This can go a long way toward helping you to feel better about accepting your mesothelioma diagnosis.

Finally

consider seeking justice. Most people who develop mesothelioma were harmed without ever being aware of it, and some company is typically liable. Getting justice and an admission of liability makes many patients feel just a little bit better about what they’re going through. Filing a lawsuit, joining an existing one, or taking part in an asbestos trust fund can also provide you and your family with much-needed compensation. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you take the next step to get justice and money for your loved ones.