What is mesothelioma? It is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, which is the tissue that protects and lines organs and the body. The life expectancy for most mesothelioma sufferers greatly varies from individual to individual depending on a number of factors, such as type of mesothelioma, cancer location and tumor size, but overall cancer stage is often the most important factor impacting treatment choices. As per usual, the earlier the disease is detected, the more likely a patient is to be able to undergo treatment with the desired results. If the disease is caught at an early stage, doctors can successfully treat mesothelioma with a combination of drugs, surgery and radiation therapy.
The average life expectancy of a person who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma is about a year, although this can vary widely based on many factors. If a person is diagnosed with this cancer while still in the prime of their life, the life expectancy can be much longer. However, if a person is diagnosed more recently, chances are that the average lifespan is lower. This is due to a number of factors including the fact that the cancer responds well to treatment, the lack of new information regarding the disease, and a lack of awareness of the importance of early detection.
There are four stages of this disease. Stage I is when symptoms are still at the beginning stages, and the prognosis is good. At this point, there is still no evidence of cancer cells and the patient can expect to live at least two years with the disease. If the patient is diagnosed with stage III mesothelioma, the outlook is not optimistic. At this point, the cancer cells have grown large enough that they can be seen on the imaging procedures and the surrounding tissue is filled with fluid. However, there are some improvements that the patient can experience, such as being able to breath easier.
Once the tumor has reached the fourth stage, it will begin to show signs of increasing size. These signs will continue to grow until the time that surgery can be conducted to remove the remaining cancerous cells from the body. During this stage, the mesothelioma will continue to grow at an accelerated rate, as the amount of fluid filling the abdomen increases, causing the tumors to become larger over time. This makes it increasingly difficult for the affected individuals to cope with their symptoms, which can cause them great pain.
The fifth and final stage of this disease is known as the relapse stage. This is generally the worst stage of mesothelioma, as it is the stage in which mesothelioma tends to recur frequently. This is because the treatment methods which have been used are no longer effective against this particular type of cancer, and more mesothelioma tends to be treated using advanced techniques which have very few side effects associated with them. However, even in this advanced state, mesothelioma still tends to live longer than many other forms of cancer, allowing mesothelioma victims to live a number of years, sometimes even a lifetime, before they experience any serious health problems caused by the disease.
There are a number of different factors which can influence the survival rate for mesothelioma. The severity of the disease, for instance, can make a huge difference in how long a patient lives. Factors such as overall health of the individual’s family also play an important role. There are also some special treatments which may help mesothelioma sufferers live longer. A recent study has shown that patients given radioactive energy treatment, for example, experience a much higher median survival rate than those who undergo standard therapy. As technology improves and more traditional treatments become available, the survival rates for mesothelioma become better.
