Mesothelioma is a rare but serious type of cancer that mainly attacks the mesothelium (the tissue lining the lungs, heart, stomach and other organs.) Exposure to asbestos particles has been so far identified as the chief cause of this cancer.
In the past decades, survival rates of this type of cancer used to be estimated in terms of one-year survival. This is currently changing with patients now surviving longer than ever before, thanks to advances in treatment. According to a new report from the National Cancer Institutes’ SEER program, the number of patients with mesothelioma surviving for five-year has greatly improved.
Those who have been fortunate to survive long enough have cited nutritional changes, alternative medicine and multidisciplinary approach to treatment from specialists to have a huge part in their success. The standard statistic used for most types of cancer usually stands at 5-year survival rate but since mesothelioma is so deadly, its survival rate has historically stood at 1 year. Before we dig deeper into mesothelioma Survival rate, lets first understand what survival rate means.
The survival rate is used to refer to the percentage of individuals who, after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis, can survive for a specific amount of time. The standard statistic, as already outlined, is usually five-year survival rate for most cancers, while for mesothelioma it stands at 1 year. It is important, however, to note that all statistics are estimates hence can have some degree of error.
Survival rates for mesothelioma can be affected by a number of factors some of which include race, gender, and age among other factors. The strongest influence, however, comes from factors such as the location of cancer, its stage and cell type, and the overall health of the patient.
In terms of age, the survival rate in younger patients is usually higher than that of older patients. Historically, patients diagnosed with mesothelioma who are aged 75 barely lives for a year while individuals below 50 years can live for one year. This is because younger patients, unlike older patients are capable of more intensive treatments like surgery.
With regards to sex, women have been marked as better survivors compared to their male counterpart. According to a research reported by the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database, women registered a three-fold better survival rate compared to their male counterparts. Although there is no conclusive answer to this, many people attribute it to the fact that many men work in industries where there is a high risk of exposure.
The survival rate of mesothelioma is greatly impacted by the site where cancer originates. Out of the four types of mesothelioma identified by researchers, patients with peritoneal mesothelioma have a better survival rate.
Stage of cancer
Finally, the mesothelioma survival rate is affected by the stage of cancer. Individuals diagnosed with cancer at an early age have a higher survival rate as compared to those diagnosed at later stages. The better survival rate here is attributed to the fact that such individuals can qualify for aggressive treatments like surgery which promises better outcomes.