The term prognosis is used to describe the likely outcome of a disease, how long a diagnosed patient is expected to live, and the quality of life expected during that time.  This article discusses the prognosis for mesothelioma patients affected on a multitude of levels.

Once a patient is diagnosed, a doctor will likely discuss their prognosis, or probable course and outcome of the cancer’s influence on the body.  The best way to avoid a poor prognosis is through early detection.  As a result, the prognosis for the majority of patients is poor, but many doctors can recommend treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to help combat the disease.

In addition to the stage of the cancer and the age of the patient, other factors that affect prognosis include: The type of mesothelioma – pleural, peritoneal, pericardial or testicular The size of the tumor, the location of the tumor, and whether it can be surgically removed, the extent of other symptoms, including fluid in the lungs or abdomen and whether or not the patient is a smoker.

Though numerous factors affect a patient’s prognosis such as age, overall health, and the type of mesothelioma the patient is battling, the average length of survival reported throughout the last five years has been 10 to 11 months after diagnosis.  Early detection of pleural mesothelioma can improve a patient’s mesothelioma prognosis considerably, and these patients have more extensive treatment options.

Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in stage one or two generally have greater treatment options and a better prognosis.  Pleural mesothelioma patients who are not diagnosed early enough for curative treatment have fewer treatment options, mostly limited to palliative treatments, designed to relieve pain and discomfort to improve a patient’s quality of life, rather than their prognosis.

If a patient is diagnosed once the disease has reached the advanced stages, treatment options are limited and prognosis is often compromised.  A patient’s overall health status and age greatly affects the prognosis.  Cancer that has not metastasized to other areas of the body gives physicians a lot more treatment options and improves a patient’s prognosis dramatically.

Pleural mesothelioma patients have a poorer prognosis if they are experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, inability to perform daily tasks, weight loss, a low red blood cell count, a high white blood cell count, and high blood levels of a substance called LDH (lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme).  Pleural mesothelioma patients who experience these symptoms usually receive a prognosis ranging between six and 12 months.

The median survival of patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma from time of first dignosis is one year; in male patients or those with elevated white-cell counts, thrombocytosis or anemia, the prognosis is far worse.  The presence of certain biochemical markers, as well increased vascularity or the presence of the SV40 virus in the tumor, are other indicators that the prognosis would be more serious.  The fibrosarcomatus type carries the worst prognosis, while the mixed (a combination of both kinds) comes in between them.

However, many have overcome such a poor prognosis and have prolonged their life in a multitude of ways.

Around 2,000 new mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the US on a yearly basis. Once the patient of mesothelioma is diagnosed, a health care provider will discuss prognosis and will give a result of the impact of cancer on your body. To get rid of poor prognosis, early detection is an absolute must. Recent study has come to the conclusion that mesothelioma symptoms may not make its presence felt until 15 to 30 years after asbestos exposure.

Factors Affecting Prognosis

Diagnosis of mesothelioma normally takes place when it has reached the advanced stages of development. The main reason behind this is that patients take plenty of time in displaying symptoms that are associated with mesothelioma. Apart from that, mesothelioma symptoms are pretty general and quite a number of times resemble less complicated conditions, which makes the process of diagnosing cancer lot tougher.

Because of this, there is hardly a surprise that the prognosis for the majority of patients is not good, but lots of health care providers can advice treatment routines like radiation, chemotherapy and surgery to assist in dealing with the disease.

Stages of Mesothelioma and other factors

Health care providers normally address the cancer with regard to stages. There are four different kinds of stages. The significant factor here is that once mesothelioma cancer has reached the advanced stage, treatment routines are not going to be that effective. If you are diagnosed with stage three or four mesothelioma, surgery is not going to be useful.

Apart from cancer stage and patient age, there are other factors as well that affect prognosis. It includes mesothelioma type, tumor size, tumor location and whether it can be removed through surgery and effects of other symptoms. Malignant mesothelioma is normally diagnosed in people that has attain the age of more than 50. Few individuals already have number of medical issues because of old age, making treatment quite tough.

Complications Associated with Mesothelioma

Some of the complications associated with mesothelioma are mentioned below.

Digital clubbing Pain in chest region Pleural effusion Ascites Pleural thickening Respiratory failure Kinds of Mesothelioma

Find below information of various kinds of mesothelioma.

- It is non-cancerous kinds of mesothelioma. Benign mesothelioma is rare form of cancer and is not fatal if treated on time. It can occur in the body either in form of cysts, tumors or plaques. – It affects the lung membranes. Pleural mesothelioma is quite identical to lung cancer. – It affects the heart lining. – It affects the membranes of certain big cavities. – It affects the abdominal membrane. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most occurring form of mesothelioma. – The rarest type of mesothelioma cancer which comprises of only 5% of all the mesothelioma cases is pericardial mesothelioma. It has been observed that middle aged people are most likely to develop this type of mesothelioma and men are more vulnerable to this cancer due to their exposure to asbestos.

A mesothelioma prognosis tends to be bleak, with most individuals dying from the disease within a year after diagnosis. However, there are some who will live a decade or more with this deadly form of cancer. Why the discrepancy in prognosis? As with most cancers, the earlier it is detected, the better the outcome. How to fight for yur right!

The prognosis of an individual in stage one will more than likely be better than the prognosis for an individual diagnosed with stage three or four. Aggressive treatment can be started sooner, aiding in preventing the cancer from entering into further stages. In these latter stages, the prognosis is poor because it has usually spread into other organs and the blood stream, making a cure obsolete.

Conventional therapies may not affect mesothelioma in the same manner researchers once thought. Cases may vary by the individual. More alternative treatment options are becoming available and as with any type of disease, personal lifestyle and overall health may contribute to the outcome. How to fight for yur right!

There are two major types of mesothelioma, peritoneal and pleural. The prognosis is not dependent on which area is affected or the type. Since most forms of mesothelioma cancers are considered malignant, treatment options for both are about the same. Treatment options may include chemotherapy, drugs, and surgery or a combination.

Although early detection of mesothelioma improves the prognosis, it may be difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are similar to that of several other conditions. The patient may go through a series of tests in an effort to check for these other diseases. By the time the patient has the signs and symptoms and are evaluated for these things, the cancer has usually spread.

There may be hope for those suffering from mesothelioma though. A diagnosis does not mean death. Many new drugs are being used to help treat the disease and may improve the mesothelioma prognosis greatly.
How to fight for yur right!