Based on Your Reading:
Get Your Free Mesothelioma Guide
Find a Top Mesothelioma Doctor
Access Help Paying for Treatment
Written by Dr. Daniel Landau | Medically Reviewed By Dr. Jacques Fontaine | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: October 24, 2024
The prognosis for mesothelioma, the likely course of the disease, is poor. Most mesothelioma patients live 1 to 2 years with treatment. Without it, they live 6 to 8 months. But some patients have defied the odds and lived more than 10 years. A mesothelioma prognosis is both individual and based on the outcomes of other patients.
Survival rate, life expectancy, and mortality statistics affect prognosis. But every mesothelioma survivor is unique. We researched cancer statistics from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. The latest SEER data from 2019 show the 5-year survival rate for all stages of mesothelioma is almost 14%. This is for patients of all demographics and types of mesothelioma.
Choosing mesothelioma treatment can improve the prognosis. Ongoing cancer treatment can help keep mesothelioma under control. Some patients live more than a decade after therapy.
The key factors in a patient’s mesothelioma prognosis are the tumor’s origin, cell type, and stage at diagnosis. General health and other personal factors also affect the response to treatment.
The tumor location and size affect the treatments a patient qualifies for. The cancer stage impacts prognosis because treatment becomes less effective in later stages. Patients generally don’t have much control over most of these prognostic factors. You can’t control your age or tumor cell type. But you can improve your health and get cancer treatment to help your prognosis.
The origin of tumors defines the types of mesothelioma. It has a significant impact on the prognosis. Tumor location affects which cancer treatments can be safely done. It also impacts the risk of complications.
For example, doctors we interviewed tell us patients with abdominal mesothelioma respond better to aggressive treatment. But pleural patients risk heart complications with it.
Cell types that make up tumors also affect prognosis. Some mesothelioma cells are more resistant to treatment. This worsens the prognosis. A 2020 Oncology Reports study found epithelial cells had a better prognosis.
Patients diagnosed in the early stages have the best prognosis. The journal Cancers published a study in 2020 on pleural mesothelioma patients at stages 1 and 2. The results of that study showed patients had a median overall survival of 32.1 months.
Dr. David Sugarbaker was a pioneer in mesothelioma treatment. In an interview with The Mesothelioma Center, he said, “The major or No. 1 factor that influences a patient’s prognosis is the amount of tumor that is visible at the time of diagnosis.”
Get Your Free Mesothelioma Guide
Find a Top Mesothelioma Doctor
Access Help Paying for Treatment
Younger people are typically more eligible for more aggressive treatment options. Women with mesothelioma tend to live longer than men, and 18.6% of Black patients lived 5 years vs. 9.4% of white patients.
Patients who maintain a healthy diet and nutrition may also strengthen their immune system. A strong immune system can improve prognosis and overall health to fight mesothelioma and infections.
Dr. W. Charles Conway is director of surgical oncology at the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center in Santa Barbara. We asked him how patients can improve their overall health. He said, “Other than medical treatments, any cancer patient can improve how they do long-term by maintaining their fitness.” Conway added, “That includes nutritional fitness and also their physical fitness. The longer active patients can stay, the better they do long-term. This is especially true if they maintain their nutrition.”
Choosing mesothelioma treatment is the best way to improve a patient’s prognosis. Long-term survivors often undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Some of these survivors also use treatments like immunotherapy and Tumor Treating Fields.
Surgery allows some patients to live for years, but only about 20% of patients qualify for it. About half of the patients who undergo chemotherapy see tumor shrinkage. The addition of targeted therapy or Tumor Treating Fields may improve lifespan from 12 to 18 months.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, and the treatments for it can be tough. So aggressive treatment is warranted for mesothelioma patients. It can extend their lives and improve their quality of life.
Mesothelioma treatment can partly remit the cancer. This means a 50% reduction in tumor size. Full remission is having no signs or symptoms of active cancer, and it is rare with mesothelioma. Partial remission is more common. Patients may live for years in partial remission.
You can choose to be proactive and take steps to improve your mesothelioma prognosis. Although you can’t change your age or cancer stage, you can choose to seek treatment and make healthy lifestyle choices.
Dr. Andrea Wolf is director of the New York Mesothelioma Program at Mount Sinai in New York City. In our interview with her, she said a survivor’s emotional health may improve their prognosis. “While it’s a difficult and challenging disease, the prognosis is variable,” Wolf said. “And people need to stay positive in order to become those patients who live long-term because we have those who do.”
When asked what Susan would share with others on their mesothelioma journey she said, “I can’t tell anybody what to do. I would take it from my own perspective.” Today, after more than a decade from her intensive surgery and at 84 years old, Susan says overall she’s been enjoying good health. She also says she doesn’t have any lingering effects from the procedure and hasn’t had a recurrence of cancer. “Life is good,” she says.
Although recurrence is common, people diagnosed with mesothelioma are overcoming their initial prognoses. Some survivors have lived a decade or more beyond their life expectancies. Mesothelioma survivors share how they improved their prognosis. They credit their medical teams, family support, treatments and other factors.
Mesothelioma survivors share stories of how they improved their prognosis through their medical teams, family support, treatment procedures and other factors.
Diagnosed in 2005, Chris Gibney told us he far surpassed his pleural mesothelioma diagnosis. In March 2017, he and his wife welcomed a group of exchange students from Germany to their home. Gibney credits his medical team and a support group. They helped him survive over a decade past his prognosis. “I have a lot to live for,” Gibney said. “I’ve been very, very lucky. And I kind of think, the more you have to live for, the more you will live.”
In 2000, doctors diagnosed Beth Mixon with peritoneal mesothelioma. At the time, most patients lived less than two years after treatment. Despite a grim prognosis, Mixon told us she is still going strong. It’s been over 20 years since an aggressive surgery to reduce his cancer. “Me searching the Bible for answers was huge,” Mixon said. “I think a lot of my initial recovery after surgery was based on what I was reading. If you know you’ll get well, you will get well. The mind is a powerful thing.”
Doctors diagnosed Kasie Coleman with peritoneal mesothelioma in 2010. Kasie told us she underwent several cycles of chemotherapy and HIPEC treatments. Her cancer went into remission in 2012. “Before you begin to fight, you must first arm yourself with the right tools. Get your mind right,” Coleman said. It’s extremely hard to develop a positive attitude when possibly facing death, but it’s possible. I decided that although the statistics were horrible, I was going to be the exception.
Mesothelioma progresses at different rates among patients. It depends on factors like the tumor cell type and grade. Many patients are diagnosed at stage 3. Tumors may progress to stage 4 in weeks or months without treatment.
While mesothelioma is considered terminal, it’s not always fatal. Patients have outlived their prognosis by more than a decade.
Most people with mesothelioma live for 4 to 18 months. Some have lived over 10 years with this cancer.
There is no cure for mesothelioma. But doctors can treat it. Their goal is to control tumor growth and cancer symptoms.
Mesothelioma specialists have spent years learning about mesothelioma treatment. They know how to treat this cancer better than general oncologists. Working with a specialist is the best way to improve your prognosis.
Your web browser is no longer supported by Microsoft. Update your browser for more security, speed and compatibility.
If you are looking for mesothelioma support, please contact our Patient Advocates at (855) 404-4592
The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com has provided patients and their loved ones the most updated and reliable information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure since 2006.
Our team of Patient Advocates includes a medical doctor, a registered nurse, health services administrators, veterans, VA-accredited Claims Agents, an oncology patient navigator and hospice care expert. Their combined expertise means we help any mesothelioma patient or loved one through every step of their cancer journey.
More than 30 contributors, including mesothelioma doctors, survivors, health care professionals and other experts, have peer-reviewed our website and written unique research-driven articles to ensure you get the highest-quality medical and health information.
My family has only the highest compliment for the assistance and support that we received from The Mesothelioma Center. This is a staff of compassionate and knowledgeable individuals who respect what your family is experiencing and who go the extra mile to make an unfortunate diagnosis less stressful. Information and assistance were provided by The Mesothelioma Center at no cost to our family.LashawnMesothelioma patient’s daughter
Landau, D. A. (2024, October 24). Mesothelioma Prognosis. Asbestos.com. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/
Landau, Daniel A. "Mesothelioma Prognosis." Asbestos.com, 24 Oct 2024, https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/.
Landau, Daniel A. "Mesothelioma Prognosis." Asbestos.com. Last modified October 24, 2024. https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/.
A medical doctor who specializes in mesothelioma or cancer treatment reviewed the content on this page to ensure it meets current medical standards and accuracy.
Please read our editorial guidelines to learn more about our content creation and review process.
Dr. Jacques Fontaine is a thoracic surgeon at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, where he heads up the Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center. He specializes in minimally invasive robotic surgery and aggressive surgeries for mesothelioma.
We Thoroughly vet individuals who are experts in their field to contribute to articles on Asbestos.com. We believe in the integrity and quality of our educational materials, and only publish information that is relevant, factual, and backed by experts.
Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families doesn’t believe in selling customer information. However, as required by the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you may record your preference to view or remove your personal information by completing the form below.