Mesothelioma Life Expectancy, History of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy

Mesothelioma supportCurrently 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.