What factors help
determine a mesothelioma prognosis?
When an individual is
diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other kind of cancer, one of the first
questions they will have is “How long do I have to live?” This is a scary
question - and a hard one to ask - but one for which most cancer patients will
eventually seek an answer.
It is very difficult for
oncologists and members of a patient’s medical team to give a definitive answer
to this query. Indeed, every case is different and cancer can be an
unpredictable disease. Sometimes, cases that look hopeless turn out to be not
so bleak. In other cases, cancers that don’t look so bad progress quickly and
result in an untimely death.
Overall, the prognosis
has been rather grim for mesothelioma patients during these past few decades. Malignant mesothelioma is extremely aggressive and has a long latency
period. Hence, cases are usually not detected until the disease has reached the
advanced stages of cancer. As a result the prognosis for such patients is often
not favorable; the mesothelioma survival rate following diagnosis is usually just a year or
two. That doesn’t mean, however, that there won’t be exceptions and that this
dour outlook will not change in years to come, especially as more and better
treatments are developed.
Determining Prognosis
Currently, a number of
different issues determine the mesothelioma patient’s prognosis. These include:
Type - Mesothelioma classified as one of three types, depending on the tissues
involved. The epithelial type accounts for about 50 percent of all cases, sarcomatoid mesothelioma is seen in 15 percent of diagnosed patients, and
35% have the mixed type of the disease. Those with epithelial mesothelioma have a better survival rate than the other
types.
Location - Mesothelioma is also
classified on the basis of location. For example, pleural mesothelioma,
which attacks the lining of the lung, is the most common, accounting for
approximately 8o percent of all cases. Those with this type of cancer have the
best rate of survival. Peritoneal mesothelioma,
found in the lining of the abdomen, is the next most common and is diagnosed in
about 10 -15 percent of mesothelioma victims. It is generally harder to treat. Less
common types are very difficult to treat, including pericardial and testicular
mesothelioma.
Stage of the disease - The prognosis for mesothelioma cancer depends on how early the disease is diagnosed
and how soon treatment can begin. Because of the disease’s extended latency
period, it is often not diagnosed until it has reached Stage 3 or 4, when mesothelioma symptoms finally appear. Sadly, many of these symptoms
are common to a wide range of respiratory diseases including many that are less
serious, like the flu or pneumonia. This often results in misdiagnosis.
Metastasis - When a mesothelioma diagnosis is finally made, oncologists will often find
that the cancer has spread - or “metastasized” - from the location of the
primary tumor - usually the pleura - to other parts of the body, often to the
nearby organs as well as the lymph nodes. The extent of the metastases will
determine what type of treatment is recommended as well as the prognosis.
General health of the patient - Simply put, younger and stronger patients with
mesothelioma live longer than those of advanced age who have extant health
problems. Seniors are often dealing with issues like heart disease, diabetes,
and high blood pressure, making mesothelioma surgery as well as traditional cancer treatments much
more risky and severely limiting treatment options.
Additional Mesothelioma Prognosis Factors
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Life expectancy for
those diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma depends on a number of factors
including, general patient health, cancer stage at diagnosis, and the
eligibility of the patient for certain treatment options. Those diagnosed with
early stage cancer and in generally good health will have a more favorable
prognosis than those diagnosed with later-stage disease.
Mesothelioma Survival Rate
Most survival rates for cancer
are quoted in regards to what is commonly known as the relative five-year
survival rate. This indicates the number of patients who are still alive five
years after they are diagnosed with the disease. Currently, the five-year
survival rate for mesothelioma victims is approximately 10 percent. Though this
is a very disappointing statistic, it represents a modest improvement from the
numbers seen 10 years ago and is much higher than it was 20-30 years ago.
The current one-year
survival rate for mesothelioma patients is about 40 percent. This has also
increased significantly in the last 10 years. Unfortunately, however, the
prognosis for most mesothelioma patients remains poor overall. Many still die
less than a year after diagnosis, with the average survival rate being 10-11
months, according to the American Cancer Association.
Mesothelioma Remission
Mesothelioma is one of
the most aggressive types of cancer and can quickly metastasize from its origin
into the lungs, abdominal cavity, and lymph nodes. As a result, very few
mesothelioma patients go into remission. However, if treated properly and early
enough, many patients have been able to extend survival rates long beyond previous
expectations. Treatment options include surgical resection, chemotherapy, and mesothelioma radiation.
Mesothelioma Survivors
While there is currently
no cure for mesothelioma, many patients have had success in managing their
cancer with traditional treatments like chemotherapy and surgical methods. Some
patients diagnosed with mesothelioma have survived many years after what was an
initially unfavorable prognosis.
Improving the Mesothelioma Prognosis
During the last decade,
the plight of mesothelioma sufferers has gained more attention and more
research dollars have been funneled towards the study of this disease and the
discovery of new and novel drugs and treatments to provide more hope of a
better prognosis for the mesothelioma sufferer.
Scientists have been
working on new tests that strive to diagnose the disease at an earlier stage.
For example, the Mesomark® assay is a simple blood test that measures the rate
of Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP) in the blood. This biomarker is
released by mesothelioma cells into the bloodstream and SMRP can be elevated
for many years before symptoms appear and an actual diagnosis of the disease is
made.
Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/
Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/
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