Written By: David Statman
Mesothelioma survival rate is approximately 50% for one year of survival and 12% for five years. The survival rate is the percentage of people with mesothelioma who survive for a specified amount of time. The survival rates for mesothelioma are improving due to new treatments.
Medically reviewed for accuracy by
Dr. Hassan Khalil
Mesothelioma Thoracic Surgeon
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Survival rate is the percentage of patients who reach a specific survival benchmark with a deadly disease. It’s usually measured in increments of every six months or one year. For mesothelioma, doctors usually give a 1-year survival rate, 2-year survival rate, 3-year survival rate and 5-year survival rate.
The measurement begins either once the patient is diagnosed or after a specific treatment. It ends when the patient passes away. Doctors then calculate the survival rate based on many cases.
The survival rate is based on past cases. Therefore, it’s not a prediction of survival for a current or future case. It’s a benchmark for doctors and patients to make decisions regarding treatment or what to expect with life expectancy.
The 1-year survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is around 50%. The 2-year survival rate is approximately 18%. The 5-year survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is 12%, according to the American Cancer Society.
The survival rates for mesothelioma help doctors provide a prognosis to patients and allow patients to make preparations based on their diagnosis.
The survival rates for peritoneal mesothelioma are higher than they are for pleural mesothelioma. For instance, the 2-year rate is 35%.
The survival rates increase dramatically after successful surgery. It improves incrementally for other therapies, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Survival rates don’t tell the whole story. It can be discouraging to learn about the survival rates when you or a loved one has mesothelioma cancer, these rates should not cause you to lose hope.
There are a few ways that mesothelioma survival rates can be misleading. Here are three reasons not to put too much stock in the reported mesothelioma survival rates; survival rates continue to improve, new treatment options becoming available, and the context is misleading.
Survival rates don’t always reflect current data. Survival rates are based on historical data. Doctors examine the results of people treated in the past in order to provide this data. They only offer a glimpse into the past, not the future.
Survival rates do not account for new mesothelioma treatment options, like immunotherapy or cell and gene therapy, or advances in techniques for existing treatments, such as surgery. Many of these treatments were not available at the time the data was collected.
Treatment options for cancers like mesothelioma have been developing quickly through clinical trials in the past decade. For instance, immunotherapy outperforms chemotherapy in survival by four months. The 1-year and 2-year rates are also better for immunotherapy.
General survival averages can be misleading because they include patients who didn’t receive treatment. They also include patients with poor health, in their 70s or 80s in age, treated by general oncologists rather than mesothelioma specialists, and other inhibiting factors.
For example, patients who are diagnosed before the age of 65 live an average of three months longer than those diagnosed between the ages of 65 and 74.
Gender is another piece of context to consider. The 5-year rate for women (15.4%) is more than double the percentage for men (6.5%). One of the main reasons is women visit their doctors more often than men for routine health checkups, which can reveal signs of mesothelioma, an earlier diagnosis, and quicker treatment.
Some of the factors that can affect mesothelioma survival rates are: patient health and age; gender; stage; cell type; and treatment options. Below is more information on each.
Patient health and age can affect mesothelioma survival rates. People who are older have poorer survival rates than younger patients. People with better overall health also live longer.
Treatment options for mesothelioma are more available for people in good health. For instance, patients are more likely to recover from surgery if they have a healthy lifestyle, and surgery is the best treatment option to improve mesothelioma life expectancy.
The mesothelioma survival rates are different for men and women. According to the results of one study, women have a 5-year survival rate of 13%. Men have a 5-year survival rate of below 5%.
Survival rates change for each of the four stages of mesothelioma. Here are estimated survival rates for the four stages of mesothelioma (based on a 2-year survival rate):
Stage combined with a patient’s age can have a compound effect on mesothelioma survival rates. People with mesothelioma age 65 or older have five times better survival rates at stage 1 than at stage 4.
Mesothelioma cell type can significantly affect the survival rates. Any case of mesothelioma is diagnosed as one of three cell types: epithelioid, sarcomatoid or biphasic. Here is a snapshot of survival rates for the mesothelioma cell types:
Epithelioid mesothelioma typically has the best survival rate because it reacts better to treatment, spreads slower, and is easier to find tumors on scans and during surgery. The sarcomatoid cell type has the lowest rate due to it spreading quickly, being more difficult to locate and more difficult to treat.
Mesothelioma survival can be greatly improved when patients have surgery. This is because surgery for mesothelioma removes most of the visible tumors, decreasing the disease volume.
By decreasing the amount of cancer cells and tumors means the body has less to fight and the fewer chances of metastasis. This may not cure the disease, but it may grant the patient more time before the disease starts to grow and spread.
According to studies, these three mesothelioma surgeries have greatly increased survival rates:
Extrapleural pneumonectomy (pleural mesothelioma)
Pleurectomy/decortication (pleural mesothelioma)
Cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC (peritoneal mesothelioma)
A recent study found that people with the epithelioid mesothelioma cell type had an average survival of 25 months after surgery.
Immunotherapy has proven to help improve the survival rates for mesothelioma patients. Opdivo and Yervoy, two FDA-approved immunotherapy drugs for pleural mesothelioma, are given as a combination drug therapy. The 2-year survival rate is around 40% and a 3-year survival rate of 23%.
Keytruda, another FDA-approved immunotherapy for pleural mesothelioma, also improves life expectancy. In one study testing immunotherapy versus chemotherapy, the 1-year survival rate for immunotherapy patients was 76%.
Survival rates give patients an approximation of how long people with a similar diagnosis have lived. They are based on a range of factors from tumor location to the patient’s age. These statistics may give patients a clearer picture of their diagnosis so they can develop a treatment plan best suited for them.
Due to the many factors that can impact a patient’s survival, it is important to take survival statistics lightly and to not be discouraged. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer but is also very unpredictable, many patients living beyond their original prognosis.
Survival rates are only a guideline. Learn more about beating the odds in our free Mesothelioma Guide book, which also comes with other free resources to inspire you to win the fight against mesothelioma cancer.
The 1-year survival percentage is 40%-50% for pleural mesothelioma. The rate decreases with each additional year, although some patients provide examples of long-term survival:
The 1-year survival percentage for peritoneal mesothelioma is 50%. Peritoneal mesothelioma typically has a better prognosis than pleural mesothelioma. The survival rate decreases with each year, but patients have hope for long-term survival:
Mesothelioma survival rates are improving due to heightened awareness of symptoms, more doctors with experience recognizing this rare cancer, and promising new therapies. These aspects are also the driving forces behind boosts in survival rates:
The factors that can affect survival rates for mesothelioma include:
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The survival rate for mesothelioma is an important measure that helps patients and families understand the outlook after diagnosis. It indicates the percentage of people who live for a specific amount of time after their diagnosis or treatment. For example, approximately half of the people diagnosed with mesothelioma are alive after one year, and about 12% are alive after five years. These numbers are averages gathered from many cases and can vary widely depending on individual circumstances. Advances in diagnosis, treatment, and newer therapies are gradually improving these survival rates over time.
It is essential to recognize that survival rates are not definitive predictions for any particular person. Many factors influence an individual’s prognosis, including the type and stage of the cancer, patient health, age, gender, and the specific treatment options available. For instance, patients who undergo successful surgery or newer treatments like immunotherapy tend to have better outcomes. Conversely, those diagnosed at later stages or with more aggressive cell types often face more challenges to survival. The rates serve as general benchmarks but do not determine individual chances of survival, which can often be much better than average due to personalized care and advances in medicine.
Understanding the specifics behind mesothelioma survival rates can offer reassurance and perspective. While the statistics suggest a challenging prognosis, continuous improvements in medical techniques and therapies have led to longer survival times for many patients. It is also valuable to consider that survival rates are based on past data and may not fully reflect current treatment success. Early diagnosis, access to expert care, and participation in clinical trials can significantly influence outcomes. Overall, many patients live well beyond the average expectations, and hope remains strong thanks to ongoing research and improved treatment options.
