Mesothelioma Survival Rate - Mesothelioma Patients Survival Rate
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| Mesothelioma Survival Rate |
Not long ago, the mesothelioma survival rate was a very bleak percentage. But now, the numbers have climbed and are still climbing as new and better treatments continue to evolve and help usher patients into another year of their lives. 55 percent live longer than six months, while 35 percent live longer than one year. However, only nine percent survive longer than five years.
As new treatments emerge, so does new research that is serving to aid doctors in making better prognoses for their patients. To do this, they begin by looking at the survival rates of those who were treated at least several years earlier than the present patient.
Kinds of Mesothelioma
There are three kinds of mesothelioma: pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial. One study conducted by the National Cancer Institute found that the one-year survival rate for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients is roughly the same at 40 percent. However, in the second year of treatment the numbers differ greatly. The peritoneal patient’s mesothelioma survival rate dropped to 35 percent, but the pleural patient’s survival rate chances dropped to a whopping 11 percent. Pericardial mesothelioma is so rare that there are no studies that have solid evidence to demonstrate survival rates for patients. Unfortunately, 90 percent of patients with pericardial mesothelioma are diagnosed after death, not before.
Influences on Survival Rate
Several factors have an effect on the survival rate. Overall health, the age of the patient, the treatment received, the type of mesothelioma cancer present and whether or not the body is responding to the treatment. Another huge factor is when the cancer is discovered. The earlier it is discovered the better the chances of having a stronger survival rate. The problem is that there are no outward signs of mesothelioma, so by the time a patient is discovered to have it, it has already advanced to a later stage which makes survival almost impossible.
Cell Type Crucial in Prognosis
Mesothelioma can develop three different cancer cell types. They are epitheliod, biphasic, and sarcamatoid. Generally, epitheliod mesothelioma has the best survival rate because it responds better to treatment. Sarcomatoid has the poorest rate due to its ability to spread rather quickly in the body. In 1996, Dr. Daniel Sugarbaker, conducted a study with 120 mesothelioma patients. From this study, he was able to show just how important the cell type is to the mesothelioma survival rates in patients undergoing multimodal therapy. Multimodal therapy is the most successful therapy treatment for mesothelioma and other studies have varying survival rates. However, it has been proven that epitheliod cell patients do best.
Surgery Doubles Survival Chances
Having surgery to remove the tumor does increase chances of mesothelioma survival rate. When a patient has surgery, the tumor’s ability to grow or spread is slowed down. Also, during surgery, blood vessels can be rerouted to prevent metastasis through the blood stream.
Three surgeries have greatly increased survival rates:
• Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) – Pleural Mesothelioma
• Pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) – Pleural mesothelioma
• Cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC – Peritoneal mesothelioma
To be eligible for these surgeries, patients usually must be in stages one or two. Having one of these surgeries doubles the chance of survival time as compared to the survival of a patient who doesn’t have the surgery.
Conclusion
No matter which type of mesothelioma you have been diagnosed with, what your prognosis is or which cell type you are, it is important for you to remember that your life is precious and you must never stop fighting. Survival rates are increasing every single day for mesothelioma patients. Giving up just simply cannot be an option.
Read More About: Epithelioid Mesothelioma
