Approximately 55 percent of mesothelioma patients live longer than 6 months, while roughly 35 percent live longer than one year. Only 9 percent of people diagnosed with mesothelioma survive longer than 5 years.
What Is Survival Rate?
Median survival rate refers to the percentage of people who live a certain amount of time after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate is a standard statistic used for many types of cancer. However, because mesothelioma cancer is so deadly, many people also refer to 1-year survival rates, as well.
Survival rate should not be confused with life expectancy, which refers to the average length of time patients with mesothelioma live. Together, both of these statistics can provide information about an individual’s prognosis.
Survival rate also should not be confused with mesothelioma mortality rate. Mortality rate is a statistic used by health organizations and governmental agencies to understand the prevalence of a disease in a given area (such as a country, state or city).
Survival Rates for Mesothelioma
The latest data shows better survival rates than ever. Specifically, a 2015 meta-study looked at 20 years worth of results from 1992 – 2012, and during that period the two major forms of mesothelioma (pleural and peritoneal) have both seen an improvement in survivorship.
According to the study, survival for peritoneal mesothelioma patients has shown significant improvement, largely due to new forms of treatment, such as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
While the numbers above encompass all people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma, the survival rate can change significantly based on various factors. The two most substantial of these are age and gender:
- Age – Older patients have a lower 5-year survival rate than younger patients
- Gender –Women with mesothelioma have a higher 5-year survival rate than men
Other factors that affect mesothelioma survival rates include:
- Location – pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, or pericardial mesothelioma
- Cell Type – epithelioid mesothelioma, sarcomatoid mesothelioma, or biphasic mesothelioma
- Stage of Disease – early stage or later stage
- Genetics – such as BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1)
- Lifestyle Factors – such as smoking
- Blood Counts – such as high levels of hemoglobin, platelets, or white blood cells
- Overall Health – such as being overweight or having a compromised immune system
Improving Mesothelioma Survival
It is important to remember that a survival rate is a percentage based on many cases – it is not meant to indicate how long any certain individual will live. In many cases, you may be able to improve your chances at long-term survival after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
For those with early stage mesothelioma (stage 1or stage 2), undergoing aggressive treatment to remove tumors and organs containing cancer cells can lead to higher survival rates. Those who receive a later stage diagnosis (stage 3 or stage 4) may not have the same surgical options available – since the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes – but could still benefit from chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatments, which can extend their survivorship.
 Mesothelioma Survival Rate by Treatment Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pleural Mesothelioma | ||
| Chemotherapy Only | 2 years | 19% |
| 5 years | 4% | |
| Pleurectomy / Decortication (P/D) | 2 years | 40% |
| 5 years | 10% | |
| Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP) | 2 years | 37% |
| 5 years | 12% | |
| Peritoneal Mesothelioma | ||
| CRS-207 + Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) | 5 years | 50% |
For pleural mesothelioma, patients who undergo a pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) or extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) – both of which are usually part of a multimodal treatment plan – generally have a much higher rate of survival than those who receive chemotherapy alone.
For peritoneal mesothelioma, patients who undergo cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with HIPEC have significantly higher rates of survival. When combined with systemic chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment, the 5-year survival rate of patients who undergo CRS + HIPEC can be as high .
