What Factors Affect Mesothelioma Prognosis?
Mesothelioma is not generally diagnosed until the disease is its latest stages of development primarily because of the amount of time it takes for mesothelioma patients to display the symptoms associated with the disease. In many cases, mesothelioma symptoms do not appear until several decades after the initial asbestos exposure occurred. Additionally, the symptoms of mesothelioma are very general, and often resemble less serious conditions which can make the cancer difficult to diagnose. 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.
Doctors typically address the cancer in terms of stages , ranging from stage one to stage four, with the cancer’s progression increasing with each stage. A mesothelioma patient’s stage greatly affects their prognosis. Unfortunately, once mesothelioma cancer has reached stage three or four, treatment options not only become more limited but less effective as well. When a patient has stage four mesothelioma, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, and tumors have often deeply penetrated organs and tissues. The poor general health of the patient often rules out the possibility of surgery.
In addition to the stage of the cancer at diagnosis 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
* Whether or not the patient is a smoker
Malignant mesothelioma is typically diagnosed in individuals over 55 years old, though there are certainly exceptions. Because of this, some patients who are diagnosed already have multiple medical problems caused by advancing age, making treatment even more difficult and increasing the mortality rate among mesothelioma patients.
My 45 year old wife was recently diagnosed with Peritoneal Mesothelioma.
It was by her Ovaries and in the general area of her reproductive system.
She had a full historectomy and the doctor’s believed they removed most of it except for tiny specks. She is curently under going Chemo. Does anyone know if she has a good chance of surviving? NOTE: My wife has never worked around or been associated with Asbestos in general. Neither has anyone in her family. She obviously had an unknown or accidental exposure somewhere in her life. My entire family is in shock and very scared at this point. Anyone have any thoughts to share? Thanks