Mesothelioma Prognosis

After a diagnosis of mesothelioma, there are a number of variables that influence the patient’s prognosis and life expectancy. The most important factor, and frequently the hardest to determine, is the stage of mesothelioma when it is actually diagnosed. Mesothelioma is harder to stage than other cancers as it is somewhat rare and so less is generally known about its stages and because the initial symptoms are rather subtle and so it is usually advanced when it is eventually diagnosed.

Of the two main types of mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is much more difficult to stage because there isn’t actually a staging system in place from pathologists. Pleural mesothelioma actually has multiple staging systems and so it is slightly easier.

Because it is so frequently not even diagnosed until an advanced stage of the disease has been reached, the prognosis on the disease is not that great, especially in the earlier stages. Studies show that there is between a 9 and 10% chance of survival to the five year point. This number does not take into account many of the more recent breakthroughs in cancer treatment in general or the sometimes higher than expected returns from clinical trials.

There is much argument and disagreement between scientists and doctors at every level as to which type of mesothelioma is worse to have. Many studies have shown that peritoneal spreads more quickly and is more deadly than pleural mesothelioma; however, these studies are frequently contradicted by experts who argue the exact opposite or that one is not more deadly than the other.

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