Mesothelioma Life Expectancy

By the time most people who develop mesothelioma actually have the condition diagnosed, the mesothelioma prognosis is usually pretty bad. The average life expectancy for mesothelioma patients at the time of diagnosis is about one year. Several factors can influence that though. One of the major ones is the stage to which the mesothelioma has advanced.

Here are the stages of malignant pleural mesothelioma as defined in the TNM system, which is also known as the International Mesothelioma Interest Group staging system:

• Stage 1 – Only one layer of the pleura is affected by mesothelioma. It may have spread to the pericardium or diaphragm.
• Stage 2 – both layers of the pleura are affected by mesothelioma on only one side of the body.
• Stage 3 – The mesothelioma has spread to the chest wall, esophagus, or lymph nodes on one side of the body.
• Stage 4 – Mesothelioma has spread to other organs, such as the brain, bones, lymph nodes, liver, or to the other side of the body.

There are other staging systems, but the TNM is rapidly gaining favor as the standard. There is no staging system for pericardial mesothelioma.

Life Expectancy by Stage

The following prognoses are meant to give you a general idea of life expectancy at diagnosis, which varies case-to-case. Catching mesothelioma in its early stages can mean the difference between living another 5 years (or even being cured completely) and dying in a few months. Consult your physician for more information about your specific case.

• Stage 1 – 50% will live another 5 years if treated aggressively
• Stage 2 – Average life expectancy: 2-4 years
• Stage 3 – Average life expectancy: 6-8 months
• Stage 4 – Average life expectancy: less than 6 months

Those who are involved in clinical trials for mesothelioma tend to survive longer on average than those who are not. There are many clinical trials going on right now.