3 Things to Know about Mesothelioma Survival Rate

1. What is Survival Rate?
Survival rate, prognosis, and life expectancy are related terms that can often be confused for one another, since each relates to the same general idea: how long can patients expect to live once diagnosed with mesothelioma or another condition.

But when looking at the numbers, confusing these terms can make it difficult for patients to understand their own expected survival or see beyond the data. Survival rate indicates the portion of people with the same type of cancer, for instance pleural mesothelioma, who survived a certain amount of time after diagnosis.

Essentially, survival rate is a statistic that can provide a bigger picture of what a patient may expect in terms of length of overall survival and if their treatment may be successful.

2. Survival Rate Alone Can Be Misleading

Considering these statistics on their own, however, can be a bit misleading. Survival rates are data estimates looking at a wide array of patients during the particular time frame, like 1 year or 5 years after diagnosis.

This data doesn’t take into consideration any of the individual factors that influence how long an individual could survive, such as their overall health or the stage of the disease. Survival rates may also be skewed due to the lack of data available, especially for a rare cancer like mesothelioma that only has around 2,400 – 2,800 new cases each year. For mesothelioma, much of the national survival rate data includes up to around 2014. While this is still rather current information, it may leave the most current research and treatments unaccounted for, possibly making survival rates appear lower than they actually are.

So while patients and their families look at these statistics, they should also keep in mind this only shows part of the picture. Individual prognosis or life expectancy will be more specific to the patient, as the doctor will be able to assess how the disease is expected to progress and treatment opportunities based on specific patient characteristics, like age and gender, in combination with diagnosis specific details like cell type.

3. Understanding Overall Mesothelioma Survival

When looking at the broad spectrum, mesothelioma survival statistics can be rather intimidating. Across all mesothelioma patients in the United States, regardless of what type and the stage of cancer, only 55% of patients survive one year after diagnosis. After three years, only about one-third of patients are expected to survive. The 5-year survival rate is only estimated at about 9%. These isolated statistics are understandably disheartening, and can be difficult to come to terms with. The good news is each patient’s case is unique, and there are a number of factors that can indicate a better chance of long-term survival. The disease progresses differently in each individual, and treatment can also greatly influence one’s likelihood of survival.