Malignant mesothelioma prognosis is poor because the disease is rare, symptoms are not presented until much later in the progression of the cancer, and traditional cancer treatments aren’t as effective on late stage cancers. Prognosis for malignant mesothelioma is determined through a series of tests, images, and screening techniques that attempt to provide critical details about the condition of the patient and the stage of the malignant mesothelioma. The prognosis also attempts to predict the outcome and life expectancy as a result of the diagnosis.
Determining a malignant mesothelioma prognosis heavily relies on statistical information, as well. Statistical information is used to create cancer staging charts that assist doctors in determining how much the cancer has spread and developed up until the point of diagnosis. Staging is a clear process that leans on specific aspects of cancer to determine the category which the malignant mesothelioma prognosis will fall. However, other components of malignant mesothelioma prognosis are closer to “guess-work” than actual medical science.
A prognosis also includes a life expectancy, also known as the “survival rate”. The survival rate is determined based on what happened with other cases of the same disease with and without certain types of treatment. Malignant mesothelioma prognosis in this regard isn’t sound simply because there is not enough data to create actual rates of survival for mesothelioma patients; the disease is far too rare and new.
Even so, it is the doctor’s difficult task to analyze all of the information available to him or her and deduce a possible treatment plan that will best extend the patient’s life time and improve the individual’s quality of life while they battle malignant mesothelioma. There are specific factors that doctors review while formulating the malignant mesothelioma prognosis.
- Type of mesothelioma (Peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis differs from pleural mesothelioma prognosis.)
- Cancer cells present in the body
- Stage of cancer
- Proposed response to treatment options
Malignant Mesothelioma Prognosis: Type of Mesothelioma
There are three primary types of mesothelioma; pleural peritoneal, and pericardial. Pleural malignant mesothelioma prognosis is the easiest because it’s the most common; however it is still rare among cancers. Peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma are far rarer and present the most significant challenge during prognosis. Additionally, malignant mesothelioma is often undetected until much later in development (late stage cancer). The stage at which cancer is diagnosed is critical to a positive prognosis. Even at earlier stages, however. Malignant mesothelioma prognosis is poor because treatments do not often work.
Malignant Mesothelioma Prognosis: Types of Cancer Cells
There are three types of malignant mesotheliomas based on cellular composition; epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and biphasic.
Epithelioid malignant mesothelioma cells: are the most common among patients diagnosed with mesothelioma, present in 50% to 70% of all confirmed cases. These cells are very similar to another cancer cell type, adenocarcinoma, so the malignant mesothelioma prognosis that heavily relies on early diagnosis can be delayed until the correct diagnosis has been concluded.
Sarcomatoid malignant Mesothelioma Cells: Sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells are not found in mesothelioma patients as often as epithelioid cells. They are present in only 10% to 15% of all confirmed cases where mesothelioma cells are present. These may also be confused with other cancers, affecting the diagnosis and prognosis.
Biphasic Mesothelioma Cells: Biphasic mesothelioma is a term to describe the occurrence of both epithelioid and sarcomatoid malignant mesothelioma cells within the same tumor. The number of cases where biphasic mesothelioma cells are discovered are increasing annually, which may be due to advances in the detection of mesothelioma such as thorascopy biopsies. The presence of both cell types makes diagnosis and prognosis easier since mesothelioma is one of only a few cancers in which this may occur.
Malignant Mesothelioma Prognosis: Stage of Cancer
Cancer stages are determined based on statistical information about the growth rate of cancer and survival rate of individuals that fall within each group (stage). The TNM staging system is the most widely used staging system to assist with malignant mesothelioma prognosis.
| TNM Staging System |
|---|
| Severity of Mesothelioma | Stage |
| Mesothelioma is present in small spots on either the right or left pleura or a single location in the abdomen or on the pericardium, has spread no further than the immediate surrounding mesothelium, and has not nearby affected lymph nodes. | Stage I |
| Mesothelioma is present in either the right or left pleura or a single location in the abdomen or on the pericardium and has either spread to the chest wall lining, the abdominal wall lining (diaphragm), and or into the lung or other organ. | Stage II |
| Mesothelioma is present in either the right or left pleura or a single location in the abdomen or on the pericardium and has spread to the superficial chest wall or abdominal wall, other areas of the chest lining, one spot in the chest wall, the pericardium surrounding the heart, or lymph nodes in direct and close proximity to the affected side of the lungs. | Stage III |
| Mesothelioma is present in either the right or left side of the chest or a single location in the abdomen or on the pericardium and has spread to the muscles and ribs in the chest, to another organ such as the esophagus or trachea, to the spine, to the other side of the lungs or chest, into the heart or pericardium, brachial vessels, distant lymph nodes, or any other organ in the body not in close proximity to the original site of the cancer. | Stage IV |
Malignant Mesothelioma Prognosis: Proposed Response to Treatment
Surgery is the treatment of choice as an initial combatant when attempting to formulate a malignant mesothelioma prognosis. However, age and health condition is a factor in the safety of surgically removing cancer. Late stage cancers are also less operable because the cancer has often spread beyond the reach of surgical removal. This weighs heavily on prognosis, since surgery is the best way to remove cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is recommended in nearly all mesothelioma cases, even those in late stages because if can help relieve the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma. Radiation is a complimentary treatment to surgery along with chemotherapy, but isn’t an option that assists in creating a better peritoneal malignant mesothelioma prognosis because if damages soft organs in the abdomen.
Even with viable treatment options, however, malignant mesothelioma prognosis is poor for most patients. Many sufferers are provided with an expected life span of 1 year, though some early diagnoses may render up to five years of life expectancy. Life expectancy (survival rate) is based on statistics which are based on little data in relation to mesothelioma. Each individual case is different. It is possible to live beyond the expected number of years found in the malignant mesothelioma prognosis for patients that respond well to treatment and those that are open to alternative methods of treatment.
