Improving Your Prognosis
The general prognosis for someone diagnosed with
pleural mesothelioma is often unfavorable. However, making informed
decisions about treatment, lifestyle changes and overall health can
improve survival and quality of life.
Prognosis and diagnosis often are confused. A prognosis is the likely
outcome of a disease, like a forecast of how the disease will affect a
person. A diagnosis is the medical classification of which disease a
person has. A pleural mesothelioma prognosis usually is not favorable,
but may vary depending on the stage of the cancer.
Diagnosing the cancer in the early stages offers a more hopeful
outlook because doctors can still perform curative surgery to remove
tumors.
People diagnosed with this type of asbestos-related cancer can
improve their chances of survival. Many have lived well past their life
expectancy by electing treatment and improving their overall health.
That could include lifestyle changes, and following the advice of
knowledgeable specialists and experts.
Understanding Prognosis, Life Expectancy & Survival Rate
Medical professionals use these terms on a regular
basis to discuss prognosis. Although they are similar, they are not
interchangeable. Learning more about these terms may help you understand
your prognosis a little better.
Prognosis
A qualified physician is the only person who can offer a prognosis — or prediction of the likely result of your cancer. Doctors base your cancer prognosis on statistics gathered from others with your type of cancer and stage of disease.It is only an assessment. There are people who have outlived their prognosis, and you might be able to improve yours, too, by discussing it with your doctor or our Patient Advocates.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is the estimated amount of time someone will live after diagnosis. It is measured in months and years. Statistics show close to 40 percent of people who have this rare cancer live one year or longer following diagnosis.About one in 10 people live longer than three years after diagnosis. Less than 10 percent survive after five years. Remember, your specialist will determine your prognosis and discuss survival rate and life expectancy.
Survival Rate
Survival rate is the percentage of people who survive for a certain period of time. These rates are usually measured in one-, three- and five-year increments. For example, the one-year survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is approximately 38 percent. That means more than one-third of all patients will live one year or longer after their diagnosis.
Find Specialists to Treat Your Diagnosis
One of the first steps to improving your prognosis is finding a specialist who is familiar with your specific diagnosis. Our team of dedicated patient advocates will help match you to a doctor based on your diagnosis and location.
Find a Specialist
or call us at 1-855-548-6041
Circumstances That Affect Your Prognosis
There are a number of factors that determine someone’s individual prognosis. Some of these cannot be changed, including the cancer’s stage and cell type. But you have some control in modifying other factors to positively influence your prognosis.Factors You Can Change
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Overall Health
Improving Your Immune System -
Treatment Options
Learn About Your Choices -
Lifestyle Changes
Steps You Can Take
People in good health tend to respond better to cancer treatment.
Pleural mesothelioma research shows patients in good overall health and
physical fitness can handle the side effects of treatment better and
often live longer. If you’re a smoker, you can improve lung function and
overall health by quitting. Eating a balanced, nutritious diet that’s
rich in vegetables and fruit and low in sugar and fat will improve
immune function. Getting quality sleep and plenty of it is essential to
good health and will help your body recover from cancer treatment.
Have More Questions About Pleural Mesothelioma? Chat With Our Patient Advocates
Factors You Can't Change
In addition to the factors mentioned above, there are multiple aspects of your diagnosis that you cannot change. These factors include predisposed facts about you (blood characteristics and gender) as well as the current state of your cancer (cell type and stage of cancer).Blood Characteristics
Certain biomarkers found in blood may have an impact in determining a prognosis. Biomarkers like COX-2, MIB-1, white blood cells (WBC) and platelet counts have varying effects on prognosis. For example, high levels of the protein COX-2 could extend survival. Low blood cell counts can indicate the body is compromised by the cancer, which can negatively impact prognosis. High levels of the biomarker mesothelin can indicate the cancer is growing. These markers vary with each patient and could one day play a pivotal role in optimizing treatment plans for individual patients.Stage of Cancer
Staging helps determine how far along a cancer is in its progression. Early stages mean the cancer is small and localized, while late stages mean the cancer has grown and spread to other parts of the body. Small, localized tumors are easier to extract with surgery and easier to shrink with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which translates into a better prognosis. Tumors that have spread are difficult to operate on and bigger tumors don’t respond as well to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Patients diagnosed with stage I or II generally have a better prognosis than patients diagnosed in stage III or IV.Gender
Statistics show women with pleural mesothelioma have a better prognosis than men because they respond to treatment better. Researchers suspect hormonal differences may play a role in women responding better to treatment. A review of data from the National Cancer Institute shows that 13.4 percent of women with pleural mesothelioma survive for five years, compared with only 4.5 percent of men.Age
Prognosis is better for younger patients. A younger human body and immune system can better handle the aggressive therapies used to treat cancer than an older body. Younger people tend to have better overall health and physical fitness than the elderly, which helps young people recover from cancer treatment better. Some studies report that patients younger than 50 have a more positive prognosis.Steps to Take to Improve Your Prognosis
Taking action to manage pleural mesothelioma can improve your prognosis and increase life expectancy. The steps you should consider: Working with a specialist, evaluating all forms of treatment, participating in clinical trials and improving your health and lifestyle choices.- 1 Seek Guidance
- 2 Detect Early
- 3 Clinical Trials
- 4 Overall Health
- 5 Consider Your Options
- 6 Adjust Your Lifestyle
Seek Guidance from Specialists
Working with a mesothelioma specialist or qualified treatment center is the best step you can take to improve your prognosis. Since this type of cancer is extremely rare compared to other cancers, not many doctors or cancer centers have access to necessary tools or enough experience to diagnosis and treat it accurately. Specialists are the only ones who truly understand the intricacies involved in ensuring you have the best possible care.Sometimes finding a new doctor can be a stressful task, but it shouldn’t be. That's why our free Doctor Match program is dedicated to finding the right specialist for your specific diagnosis. We can also help you locate top mesothelioma treatment centers. Although a majority of cancer centers are located in the Northeast, other specialty centers are found across the country.