What Factors Are Involved with a Mesothelioma Prognosis?

A mesothelioma prognosis differs from one patient to the next. There are many factors that have to be considered before your doctor can provide you with a prognosis. The factors include:

• The type of mesothelioma
• The location of the tumors and cancerous cells
• The overall health of the patient
• The stage the mesothelioma is in when it’s discovered
• Whether or not the mesothelioma has Metastasis
• Symptoms
• Histology (cell types)
• Latency period
• Metastasis (spread)
• Your age
• If you have any additional illnesses

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there are things you can do to improve your prognosis.

How You Can Help Yourself

As a rule, after receiving a mesothelioma prognosis you usually have anywhere from 12-21 months to live. Don’t get fixated on those numbers, there have been several patients who have outlived their initial prognosis, sometimes by several years.

A key factor in extending your life after a mesothelioma prognosis is aggressive treatment and a willingness to consider taking part in promising clinical trials.

How a Mesothelioma Prognosis Can be Extended

Pleural Mesothelioma

When most people are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma they’re often in stage 3 or 4 of the cancer and doctors are seldom willing to give a prognosis of more than 10-12 months to live. The good news is that mesothelioma surgeries and radiation treatments have been used to increase the lives of individuals by 28 months. The surgeries can also reduce the amount of pain you experience on a daily basis.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Doctors have a much better prognosis for patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma today than they did 10 years ago when patients with this type of cancer were only expected to live about 2 years. Today, a peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis can be for as long as 7 years.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

At the moment, a prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma isn’t good, but by seeking the assistance of a good specialist who is willing to pursue aggressive treatment and might be able to suggest a promising clinical trial, you may be able to extend your life expectancy.

Survival Rates Are Improving

While there’s no infallible cure for mesothelioma, doctors are getting better at both diagnosing it early and effectively treating it. Many of the current treatments can extend your life expectancy by several years. In some cases, the treatments have resulted in the patient entering remission.

During the past decade, the survival rates of individuals who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma have significantly increased.

The earlier your mesothelioma is detected and the more diligent you are about seeking the aid of a highly experienced mesothelioma specialists, the better your prognosis will be.

Improve Your Mesothelioma Prognosis

The best way to understand your unique situation, your health care options, and your prognosis is meeting with a mesothelioma specialist is the best way to improve your prognosis.

Treatment Options

It’s amazing how much the mesothelioma research and technology has improved in just the last 10 years. At the moment, the most successful treatment options involve curative surgical options that are used in combination with a form of radiation and/or chemotherapy. The right combination of treatment can extend your life by 24 months to 7 years.

If your mesothelioma stage means curative surgery isn’t a viable option, you can still use palliative surgeries and chemotherapy and radiation therapy to ease your pain and extend your life. Don’t forget to explore current clinical trials and see if any might be a good option for you.

Veterans who have developed mesothelioma need to be aware of special VA benefits.

Choose a Good Specialist

Don’t underestimate the importance your doctor plays in your prognosis. You need a specialist that has intimate knowledge of mesothelioma and who will do everything possible to extend and improve your life. Not only does a specialist have the experience and resources needed to aggressively treat your mesothelioma, but they will also know about current clinical trials and be able to recommend any they think would work for you.

Get Healthy

When you are health and have a strong immune system, you stand a much better chance of extending your own life. Don’t let your diagnosis be an excuse to let your overall health slide.

Second Opinions

Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion. There’s always a chance that a different doctor will see something different and might even make a different diagnosis. A second opinion can do wonders to improve your attitude and to help you understand viable treatment options.

Be Proactive

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer. It’s spreads quickly so you need to be proactive about getting treated. The sooner you contact a specialist, the sooner you can come up with a treatment plan, and the sooner you can extend your life.