Currently no cure for mesothelioma exists and patients generally have a short average life expectancy of eight to 14 months after diagnosis. Only 10% of mesothelioma patients survive more than five years after initial diagnosis. Since its recognition as a lethal form of cancer that develops after asbestos exposure, doctors and scientists have struggled to identify a course of treatment that can improve the prognosis for patients today.
Nevertheless, efforts today still generally focus on prolonging the overall quality of life and life expectancy of these patients instead of finding a cure. Among these treatments are experimental and alternative therapies meant to relieve symptoms and improve a patient’s ability to lead a normal life.
Factors that Affect Life Expectancy
Latency Period - Unlike other forms of cancer, symptoms of mesothelioma may not be seen for decades after initial exposure. This extended period of latency allows the cancer to develop and spread even before it is diagnosed. As a result of this late diagnosis, many patients can only receive palliative care to alleviate their pain, rather than fighting the onset of the disease itself. When diagnosed in the later stages, mesothelioma does not respond to treatments as well and patients frequently do not possess the strength to undergo intensive surgery or therapies. This latency and subsequent pattern of treating symptoms rather than the disease itself gives mesothelioma an extremely poor life expectancy.
Patient age – Statistics show that the average age of mesothelioma patients is 60, with the disease affecting men over the age of 55 in 75% of all cases. Because many older patients might suffer from other illnesses that can affect the healing process, the immune systems of these individuals might not be able to fight this condition as well. Furthermore, younger patients are typically able to undergo more aggressive treatments, whereas older patients, who generally develop mesothelioma, may not be able to handle the stress of serious treatments.
Mesothelioma Type – While all forms of mesothelioma are lethal, how much we know about each form of the disease impacts our ability to treat it. Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the tissue surrounding the lungs, is the most common form of the cancer. As a result, far more research has been done on this particular form of the disease, allowing doctors to develop and test more treatment options. Other forms of the disease, including peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma, remain far more difficult to treat because doctors do not have the opportunity to analyze the effectiveness of previous treatments as often. Furthermore, extremely rare forms of this disease, like testicular mesothelioma, carry an even poorer prognosis and life expectancy because doctors have had so few opportunities to develop and test courses of treatment.
Smoking - Smoking remains one of the biggest contributors to a short life expectancy in mesothelioma patients. Although smoking does not directly cause mesothelioma, it can aggravate the condition and compromise a patient’s overall health. Particularly for patients who suffer from pleural mesothelioma, smoking can greatly decrease life expectancy in even healthy individuals, while also impacting their quality of life. As the only controllable aspect affecting the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients, the detrimental impact of this lifestyle choice deserves attention.
Treatments to Improve Life Expectancy
Scientists and researchers are constantly studying and developing new ways to improve the quality of life and life expectancy in patients with all types of cancer, including mesothelioma. Clinical trials that test the efficacy of new drugs and treatment methods now occur frequently, giving patients hope. However, in the case of mesothelioma, the most important frontier will be in the field of diagnosis. As an asymptomatic disease, overcoming the latency period will go a long way into treating the disease and increasing a patient's life expectancy.
Despite these important factors, the life expectancy of mesothelioma can widely vary from patient to patient. While some patients may elect to undergo more high intensity treatments in order to kill off cancerous cells, limitations like age, health and cancer stage often makes this impossible. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are some of the more common forms of treatment used today, although doctors hope to develop more advanced procedures to help in the treatment of this disease which carries such a poor life expectancy.
Reference:
American Cancer Society
Nevertheless, efforts today still generally focus on prolonging the overall quality of life and life expectancy of these patients instead of finding a cure. Among these treatments are experimental and alternative therapies meant to relieve symptoms and improve a patient’s ability to lead a normal life.
Factors that Affect Life Expectancy
Latency Period - Unlike other forms of cancer, symptoms of mesothelioma may not be seen for decades after initial exposure. This extended period of latency allows the cancer to develop and spread even before it is diagnosed. As a result of this late diagnosis, many patients can only receive palliative care to alleviate their pain, rather than fighting the onset of the disease itself. When diagnosed in the later stages, mesothelioma does not respond to treatments as well and patients frequently do not possess the strength to undergo intensive surgery or therapies. This latency and subsequent pattern of treating symptoms rather than the disease itself gives mesothelioma an extremely poor life expectancy.
Patient age – Statistics show that the average age of mesothelioma patients is 60, with the disease affecting men over the age of 55 in 75% of all cases. Because many older patients might suffer from other illnesses that can affect the healing process, the immune systems of these individuals might not be able to fight this condition as well. Furthermore, younger patients are typically able to undergo more aggressive treatments, whereas older patients, who generally develop mesothelioma, may not be able to handle the stress of serious treatments.
Mesothelioma Type – While all forms of mesothelioma are lethal, how much we know about each form of the disease impacts our ability to treat it. Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the tissue surrounding the lungs, is the most common form of the cancer. As a result, far more research has been done on this particular form of the disease, allowing doctors to develop and test more treatment options. Other forms of the disease, including peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma, remain far more difficult to treat because doctors do not have the opportunity to analyze the effectiveness of previous treatments as often. Furthermore, extremely rare forms of this disease, like testicular mesothelioma, carry an even poorer prognosis and life expectancy because doctors have had so few opportunities to develop and test courses of treatment.
Smoking - Smoking remains one of the biggest contributors to a short life expectancy in mesothelioma patients. Although smoking does not directly cause mesothelioma, it can aggravate the condition and compromise a patient’s overall health. Particularly for patients who suffer from pleural mesothelioma, smoking can greatly decrease life expectancy in even healthy individuals, while also impacting their quality of life. As the only controllable aspect affecting the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients, the detrimental impact of this lifestyle choice deserves attention.
Treatments to Improve Life Expectancy
Scientists and researchers are constantly studying and developing new ways to improve the quality of life and life expectancy in patients with all types of cancer, including mesothelioma. Clinical trials that test the efficacy of new drugs and treatment methods now occur frequently, giving patients hope. However, in the case of mesothelioma, the most important frontier will be in the field of diagnosis. As an asymptomatic disease, overcoming the latency period will go a long way into treating the disease and increasing a patient's life expectancy.
Despite these important factors, the life expectancy of mesothelioma can widely vary from patient to patient. While some patients may elect to undergo more high intensity treatments in order to kill off cancerous cells, limitations like age, health and cancer stage often makes this impossible. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are some of the more common forms of treatment used today, although doctors hope to develop more advanced procedures to help in the treatment of this disease which carries such a poor life expectancy.
Reference:
American Cancer Society
