Determining a Mesothelioma Patient’s Prognosis

Predicting life expectancy

Because there is no cure, a mesothelioma diagnosis is devastating for both patients and families. While it is impossible to predict just how long someone will live, statistics show that in the majority of these cases treatment options are limited in effectiveness and life expectancy is short. Evaluating certain factors—including the location and stage of mesothelioma—helps doctors determine the patient’s mesothelioma prognosis and what treatments will be most effective.

Stages of mesothelioma

As with most types of cancer, the stage at which mesothelioma is diagnosed is often the best predictor of the prognosis and determines how aggressively it should be treated. Cancer is staged on a scale of one to four, based in part on how far it has spread. The earlier the disease is found, the more options are available to extend life expectancy and improve a patient’s quality of life.

Unfortunately, mesothelioma is almost never found at a stage where a cure is possible. The prognosis worsens the higher the stage of the mesothelioma. At stage four, for example, the patient’s poor condition usually precludes any surgery. The chances of living for five years or more after an advanced-stage diagnosis are only about 25 percent as good as when the cancer is discovered at an early stage.

If you were exposed to asbestos and are experiencing any symptoms, even subtle ones, consult a doctor who knows mesothelioma as soon as possible.

Mesothelioma location and type

Other important factors affecting a patient’s prognosis include the location of the mesothelioma and the type of mesothelioma cell involved:

• Pleural mesothelioma patients have longer life expectancies than patients with peritoneal, pericardial, or testicular mesothelioma.
• Epithelial cells are seen in most mesothelioma cases.  These cells are the most responsive to mesothelioma treatments. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells, seen in only about ten percent of cases, are aggressive and resistant to  treatments. Biphasic cells are a mixture of epithelial and sarcomatoid cells.

Other factors affecting prognosis

Other factors that doctors use in determining mesothelioma prognosis include:

• Size of the tumor and whether it can be removed
• Age—most patients are 55 or older
• Medical problems such as heart disease, lung ailments, and high blood pressure
• Whether the patient is a smoker (decreases mesothelioma life expectancy)
• Severity of symptoms including chest pain and shortness of breath
• Fluid in lungs or abdomen
• Weight loss
• Low red blood cell counts and high white blood cell counts
• Blood levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)