The mesothelioma survival rate is rising as researchers learn more about the condition. At present, more mesothelioma patients live for at least one year after diagnosis than ever before. Some have even achieved five-year and ten-year survival, an impressive feat for a cancer that was once thought to be all but untreatable.
When patients are diagnosed with early-stage mesothelioma, the survival rate tends to be more favorable. Additionally, survival rates are often improved when:
- Patients receive more than one form of treatment (for instance, a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy)
- Patients are seen by a multispecialty team whose sole focus is mesothelioma, rather than a general physician or community oncologist who may have minimal – if any – experience with this relatively rare cancer
- Patients have access to the newest and most innovative therapies, such as immunotherapy and mesothelioma vaccines (although none of these are a proven cure, they often help enhance survival and quality of life)
The mesothelioma survival rate also varies by type. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the abdomen) tend to survive longer than patients with pleural or pericardial mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the lungs or heart).
Certain cellular factors can also influence the survival rate. For example, a new study found that patients whose tumors carry a specific BAP1 mutation have a median survival of five years (compared to the patients in the study who did not have the BAP1 mutation and had a median survival of less than one year).
At Moffitt Cancer Center, we are committed to improving outcomes for patients with all types of mesothelioma. Our Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center develops experimental therapies that show significant promise in treating mesothelioma, and we make those treatments available to qualified patients through clinical trials. We take a “bench to bedside approach” – when our oncologists have a breakthrough in the lab, we use those findings to improve the treatment plans of our patients.
For more information about the mesothelioma survival rate, call 1-888-663-3488 or schedule an appointment online. No referral is required to be seen at Moffitt’s Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center.
