The prognosis of mesothelioma is affected by a number of factors. These factors include: the stage of the cancer, the type of cell it is, a person’s age and their general health condition. A person who smokes can have additional problems such as frequent upper respiratory diseases that can complicate the cancer. A person who is not in very good health and has other problems such as diabetes, heart problems or digestive disorders may have a harder time with treatment.
The stage of the cancer is done using a system that takes into account where the original tumor is, has it spread to the lymph nodes and has it spread to other parts of the body. At present only pleural mesothelioma is staged due to the fact that it is the most frequent type of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is almost always diagnosed late due to several factors that include: the lack of staging other forms of the cancer, the length of time between exposure to asbestos and the time symptoms occurs and the fact that the symptoms of this cancer can and are often mistaken for other diseases.
The life expectancy of mesothelioma is hard to determine but is not usually long due to the fact that this type of cancer is not diagnosed early.
Exact survival rates are not known but the numbers are not good. A study conducted in 2009 by a Mesothelioma research foundation on the most common form of this disease, pleural mesothelioma, showed that the average survival time was four to eighteen months. Some people do survive longer, but five years is the longest that any study has shown.
Research is being conducted by physicians and different researchers to find ways to detect this cancer earlier so that the prognosis and life expectancy can be improved.
Sun, Aug 1, 2010
Cancer