The Maune Raichle Law Firm

Mesothelioma Survival Rate

Being diagnosed with mesothelioma can seem like a definite death sentence to some, especially those familiar with the data from decades past. The truth is that several new treatment regimens have shown promise and continue to boast a better survival rate every time they are evaluated. The single biggest fact that affects prognosis and long term survival rate is the stage at which mesothelioma is diagnosed. Typically, treatment is not promising and seldom attempted for individuals who are in advanced stages, stage 3 or 4, when they are first diagnosed. Cancers in the earlier stages are much more treatable and yield higher survival rates.

New treatments at the front running mesothelioma clinics are showing a lot of promise, one treatment boasts a 5-year survival rate of over 40%. Although 40% seems like a very low number, many of the individuals who enter treatment of mesothelioma are already of advanced age and often have other health issues, some of which are often related to the patient’s asbestos exposure. Being in otherwise good health and of an age under 50 can improve a patient’s chances of survival considerably. It is safe to say that with early detection, patients can live much longer than the average prognosis of less than a year's survival only a few years ago.

Treatment for mesothelioma commonly includes a combination of surgical removal of tumors, chemotherapy and radiation. The severity and invasiveness of these procedures contributes to relatively low survival rates in older individuals. In many cases, individuals diagnosed at an advanced age won't go through with the treatment because it poses as much a risk as the mesothelioma untreated does. The focus in this case shifts from survival rate and becomes pain and symptom management.