Life Expectancy for Mesothelioma Patients

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Explained

It’s important to understand that mesothelioma life expectancy and survivability greatly depend on the treatments available at the time of diagnosis, considering how quickly cancer treatments are advancing rapidly. Clinical trials are continually conducted to test new and improved treatments, and newer options may have fewer side effects. If you or someone you know is diagnosed with mesothelioma, discussing all available treatment options with a doctor is crucial.

In short, life expectancy estimates how long a patient is likely to live after a positive diagnosis. It factors in potential lung and systemic body treatment options and their success rates but ultimately relies on the statistics, averages, and historical data for all cases of individuals exposed to asbestos reported rather than the circumstances of each patient. Estimating the life expectancy of a mesothelioma diagnosis typically requires making assumptions and, as a result, is difficult to pinpoint.

Survival rates reflect the percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer who survive for a specified amount of time after their diagnosis. For example, a 5-year survival rate of 50 percent indicates that about 50 out of every 100 people diagnosed are still alive five years after their diagnosis. Bear in mind that these people could live much longer than the initial five years being factored into the survival rates. It is also important to remember that these survival rates are based on epidemiologic data extracted from large legal and medical databases and may not necessarily reflect your individual survival rate.

As with all cancers, a diagnosis of mesothelioma is often accompanied by terms like “survival rate” and “life expectancy.” Hearing doctors provide estimates of the time you or your loved one have left to live can be traumatic, but it’s important when talking to your specialists and team of doctors and loved ones that you understand how these terms differ to assist in making medical decisions regarding your care.

How Long Does a Person Live With Mesothelioma?

Life expectancy estimates how long an individual patient is likely to live after a diagnosis. For mesothelioma, life expectancy factors in potential lung and systemic body treatment options as well as treatment success rates, but ultimately relies on comparing an individual patient to previously obtained statistical data. These statistics are based on averages and historical data for all cases of individuals with mesothelioma. Estimating life expectancy typically requires making assumptions and, as a result, is ambiguous. For accurate and reliable mesothelioma data, it is important to refer to well-known, medically reliable sources such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, CDC, or national foundations.

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Vs. Prognosis Vs. Survival Rate

Understanding the nuances between life expectancy, prognosis, and survival rate is essential if you want to better understand your or a family member’s mesothelioma diagnosis. These terms, while related, provide different perspectives on what one might expect following a diagnosis. Based on statistical data and potential treatments, life expectancy estimates how long a patient may live. Prognosis encompasses the overall outlook of the disease, including expected progression and quality of life. On the other hand, survival rates offer a statistical perspective on how many patients survive for a specified period post-diagnosis. These aspects are influenced by numerous factors such as the type and stage of mesothelioma, patient age, and treatment efficacy, and will be explored in detail in the following sections.

Mesothelioma Survival Rates

Mesothelioma survival rates reflect the percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer who survive for a specified amount of time after their diagnosis. For example, a 5-year survival rate of 50 percent indicates that about 50 out of every 100 people diagnosed with mesothelioma are still alive five years after their diagnosis. However, individual survival may be less than or longer than the specified survival rate, as outcomes can vary widely depending on numerous factors, including the effectiveness of available treatments. It is also important to remember that these survival rates are based on epidemiologic data (data collected from groups of people on how often they develop diseases) extracted from large legal and medical databases. It is important to remember that this may not necessarily reflect your individual survival rate.

Mesothelioma Prognosis

The term prognosis speaks to a disease’s expected progression, outcome, and course. The prognosis of a disease is also an estimated forecast based on factors specific to the patient as well as historical data. It includes multiple aspects like how long a person will live (life expectancy), when and how signs and symptoms will occur, quality of life, and potential for complications.

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Stage

Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
21+ months	19 months	16 months	12 months

The mesothelioma cancer’s stage is one of the most significant determinants of a patient’s life expectancy. It describes where the cancer is located in the lung and how far it has spread in the body. For most types of cancer, doctors commonly follow a legal, standardized staging system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) to determine a cancer’s stage.

• Stage 1
  At stage 1, the cancer is generally small, or the tumor has not grown deeply into nearby tissues. There is no spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. It is often referred to as early-stage cancer.
• Stage 2
  For stage 2 mesothelioma, the cancer typically indicates larger tumors that have grown more deeply into nearby tissue and may have spread to lymph nodes but not to other parts of the body.
• Stage 3
  In stage 3, the tumors are even larger and more invasive, further spreading into nearby tissues and lymph nodes while still not affecting distant organs.
• Stage 4
  Also called advanced or metastatic cancer, stage 4 cancers have spread to the lymph nodes and then to other locations or sites in the body. Different types of cancer tend to metastasize to certain areas more/less frequently than others.

Unfortunately, many cancers, including mesothelioma, do not present symptoms in most patients until it has progressed into what is often considered stage 3 or 4 (where a tumor may block an entire breathing passage in the lung). However, patients and their families can take comfort in knowing that their specialty mesothelioma cancer care team (doctors, surgeons, and oncologists) is extremely well-versed in treating all stages of the disease. Your team of experts will be able to develop a customized treatment plan, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and/or immunotherapy.

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Cell Type

Additionally, mesothelioma histology (what the cells are and look like) can greatly affect a patient’s life expectancy. Mesothelioma tumors occur in two cell types: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, or a combination of the two (referred to as biphasic). Epithelioid tumors begin in the cells that line an organ, whereas sarcomatoid tumors begin in the bone or soft tissues. Epithelioid tumors are generally associated with a better prognosis than sarcomatoid or biphasic tumors because they don’t spread as quickly and tend to respond better to treatment.

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Tumor Location in the Body

The location of mesothelioma in the body can also affect a patient’s life expectancy. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma (tumors in the abdominal cavity) tend to have a longer life expectancy than those with pleural mesothelioma (tumors in the lung). This is mainly due to the treatment types available to peritoneal mesothelioma patients, as well as the fact that the peritoneal form affects the abdomen and not the chest, where most of the vital organs (i.e., lung(s), heart) are housed.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is more often associated with non-occupational (non-job related) exposure, including environmental exposure sources that violate legal regulations, than pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Treatment Type

Treatment plays an essential role in determining the life expectancy of a person facing a mesothelioma diagnosis. Treatment options have significantly improved over recent years as researchers and doctors try to understand more about the disease and receive legal approval from the FDA. Location, tumor type, stage, extent of spreading, and even overall health tie into the treatment options that will be available to a patient with a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Peritoneal mesothelioma tends to carry a better prognosis than pleural mesothelioma — primarily due to its location and treatment options available for this form of the disease. Therapeutic advances, such as HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) and cytoreductive surgery, offer peritoneal patients an improved chance of survival. Combining the two in a multimodal treatment plan has historically offered patients a median life expectancy of 34 to 92 months.

Patients with early-stage pleural mesothelioma may undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of some or all of these treatments in an effort to eradicate the cancer from the lung(s). Treatment options may include a pleurectomy/decortication procedure or extrapleural pneumonectomy — respective operations that aim to remove tumors completely. Palliative treatment, which focuses on symptom relief and pain management for improvement of quality of life, is also an option often deployed to keep patients comfortable.

Risk Factors Affecting Mesothelioma Life Expectancy

Understanding the risk factors that influence your family member or friend’s life expectancy is essential because it can help you feel proactive and confident in your treatment decision-making. Life expectancy can vary significantly based on the patient’s age, biological sex, and genetic factors. Research shows that younger patients generally have a longer life expectancy, while older patients are more frequently diagnosed. Biological sex also plays a role, with women typically having a better survival rate than men, likely due to differences in exposure and biological response. Additionally, genetic factors such as the presence of the BAP1 gene can impact prognosis and life expectancy following asbestos exposure. These factors will be examined in further detail in the following sections.

Life Expectancy by Patient Age

Research reveals that those with any exposure to asbestos at an early age and for an extended period are at a higher risk of developing mesothelioma than those exposed later in life. Doctors diagnose 65 percent of all mesothelioma cases in patients 65 or older. Only about 4 percent of cases are diagnosed under the age of 45. Younger patients generally have a longer life expectancy than older patients since younger patients tend to be healthier overall and better able to weather the treatment process.

Patient Biological Sex

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of all deaths from occupational (work-related) cancer can be attributed to asbestos – though there is no legal level of asbestos exposure. The vast majority of mesothelioma diagnoses are among men who were exposed to asbestos in their workplace (primary exposure). Women make up a much smaller percentage of diagnoses, likely because they came into contact with asbestos in the home or even indirectly through the transfer of asbestos fibers (such as from an exposed loved one who may have carried it home on their body or clothing). This is also known as secondary exposure. Men have an average survival rate of 4.5 percent, as opposed to an average of 13.4 percent for female mesothelioma patients expectancy.

Genetic Factors

Some patients may be at increased risk of developing mesothelioma following asbestos exposure than others due to a genetically inherited gene called BAP1. These patients tend to have better prognoses and longer life expectancy when diagnosed with mesothelioma after asbestos exposure than those who do not carry the gene.

Patient Age

Research reveals that those exposed to asbestos (whether its presence is legal or not) at an early age and for an extended period of time are at a higher risk of developing mesothelioma than those exposed later in life. Doctors diagnose about 65 percent of all mesothelioma cases in patients 65 or older. Only about 4 percent of cases are diagnosed under the age of 45. Younger patients generally have a longer life expectancy than older patients since younger patients tend to be healthier overall and better able to weather the treatment process.

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Professional Discussion

In summary, if you or a loved one are living with mesothelioma or have experienced prolonged exposure to asbestos, it’s important to seek out quality treatment as well as legal help so that you can focus on your health. Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease — acting quickly can significantly impact your overall prognosis and increase your life. Contact us for a Free Case Evaluation, or watch this video from a medical professional.

 

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