PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA PROGNOSIS

The prognosis of mesothelioma refers to the possible outcome of mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a lethal disease and little is known about prognostic factors. A few have survived as long as 5 years, with rates of 14% for all types and 46% for the epithelial type. However, there are long term pleural mesothelioma survivors who have survived more than 10 years (although very rare).

In a recent mesothelioma study, doctors writing about the prognosis of pleural mesothelioma explained that long-term mesothelioma survivors do exist and their prognosis may be independent of the treatment or therapies used.

Age, stage of disease, gender and histological subtype are factors that are considered when prognosis of pleural mesothelioma is being carried on. With trimodality treatment, some patients have survived 16-19 months. However, numbers are small. Despite a ban on asbestos (major cause) use in Western countries, the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma is increasing, due to the long delay between asbestos exposure and diagnosis.

Moreover, asbestos is still used in developing countries.Without treatment, mesothelioma is fatal within 4-8 months.