What Affects a Mesothelioma Patient's Life Expectancy?

   Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient is affected by numerous factors including:

Latency Period – Unlike other cancers with symptoms that surface quickly, asbestos fibers that cause mesothelioma over time can lay dormant in the body for up to 50 years. This long period of latency often results in a late diagnosis. In many cases, the diagnosis is made when it has already reached late stages of development, making mesothelioma treatment difficult and sometimes ineffective. Mesothelioma patients diagnosed in later stages will typically receive palliative treatments rather than curative, which serve to make the patient more comfortable and increase their quality of life rather than cure the disease.

Age of Diagnosis – Most reports indicate that the average age of a mesothelioma patient is 60. In fact, more than 75 percent of mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States occur in men age 55 or older. However, some researchers believe the average age is dropping due to the influx of cases from secondary exposure. When an older person develops mesothelioma cancer, treatment can be compromised due to the presence of other health-related problems. These might include heart disease, additional lung ailments, and high blood pressure. Advanced age and the presence of other diseases can significantly affect a patient's life span.

Types of Mesothelioma – There are three major types of mesothelioma an individual can develop. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs. Other forms of the disease include peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma, which affect the lining of the abdomen and heart. Since pleural mesothelioma affects the most mesothelioma patients, more knowledge and research about this form of the cancer is present to utilize when detailing a treatment plan, often making the life expectancy for pleural mesothelioma patients longer.
Smoking – Smoking can greatly decrease the life span of an individual who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma should quit smoking immediately.

Mesothelioma Survival Rates

Many studies have been conducted in regards to survival rates among mesothelioma patients. When discussing survival rates for this or any type of cancer, references to the "five-year relative survival rate" are often stated. This number refers to the percentage of patients who live at least five years after their cancer is diagnosed.

According to statistics published by the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for patients with mesothelioma is approximately 10 percent. That number has improved in the last five years, up from 9 percent reported at the end of 2002. In addition, recent studies show that the one-year survival rate is now about 40 percent, a number that has also increased in the past five years. Throughout the 1990s, it was rare for a patient to survive more than a year after diagnosis.

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.

Exciting stories about mesothelioma survivors continue to surface, providing hope to mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

Compensation for Widow of Mesothelioma Victim

   The widow of a man who died from the asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma has been awarded over one million dollars in compensation. A Texas jury awarded $1.2 million to the woman, whose engineer husband died following exposure to asbestos.

According to reports, Danny Puckett worked with additives to drilling lubricants, and these additives contained asbestos, which led to his exposure. He worked for the Dowell Company between 1975 and 1985. He died earlier this year from the
malignant mesothelioma.

    In part of the trial Mr Puckett was able to testify, and confirmed that he had been exposed to asbestos laden cement dust on a regular basis. The lawsuit was filed against a number of companies with the complaint stating that the asbestos in the additives caused his exposure and subsequent cancer.
   Only two of the defendant companies were found liable at the trial, and this was Montello, Inc., and Union Carbide. Other companies that had been named as part of the complaint were dismissed from the lawsuit.