Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma. Many factors may be complex in determining the survival rate for this aggressive cancer; some are better understood than others. Estimates of average survival time range from one to two years; survival depends on fundamental factors such as the type and extent of spread of the mesothelioma. Only seven percent of people with this cancer survive to five years after diagnosis, but this outlook is gradually enhancing with some promising experimental treatments. Some people live well beyond five years from the time of diagnosis.
In general, younger age at diagnosis, absence of weight loss and little loss of lung function are linked with chances for increased survival. Stage I mesotheliomas, which have not spread to the lymph nodes or adjacent tissues and organs, also carry the best prognosis. The type of cell the cancer is comprised of can also sway survival. The epithelioid cell type has the best prognosis, the mixed or biphasic cell type the next best prognosis, and the sarcomatoid cell type the worst prognosis. The majority of malignant pleural mesotheliomas are of the epithelioid cell type.
Mesothelioma
Because this cancer takes so long to manifest, people are usually diagnosed at an older age and with more developed disease, potentially worsening the prognosis and the medicine options available. The more aggressive the treatment, the better the outcome may be, but in cases with cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, chemotherapy may be the only alternative. New drugs, such as the aggregate of Alimta with Platinol, have been shown to improve survival in malignant mesothelioma patients whose only choice is chemotherapy. A estimate of experimental treatments, such as immunotherapy and biotherapy, are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate
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