A mesothelioma prognosis is how long a patient is expected to live with this cancer. Mesothelioma patients live for 18 months on average, with 12% of patients living for 5 years or more. We can help you find treatments to improve your mesothelioma prognosis and work toward becoming a survivor.
What Is the Prognosis for Mesothelioma?
A malignant mesothelioma prognosis describes someone’s expected health outcome after a diagnosis.
A prognosis takes two main factors into account:
- Mesothelioma life expectancy: The average length of time a patient can expect to live after a diagnosis. On average, the life expectancy for mesothelioma is 18 months.
- Mesothelioma survival rate: Measures the percentage of patients still alive after a specified length of time. The overall 5-year survival rate for mesothelioma is 12%.
You could greatly outlive the average mesothelioma prognosis. Some patients have lived for 20 years or more, often by undergoing treatment for this cancer.
“There is a misconception that mesothelioma is a death sentence. It's not. Yes, a lot of patients do die from it, but you're not guaranteed to die if you have mesothelioma.”
— Dr. Raja Flores, mesothelioma specialist
Get our Free Veterans Packet to find doctors and treatments that could help improve your mesothelioma prognosis.
Improving Mesothelioma Prognosis
You may feel discouraged by your prognosis, as mesothelioma is aggressive and has no known cure. However, there are steps you can take to potentially live longer.
Here are tips on how to improve a mesothelioma prognosis:
Work with a mesothelioma specialist
The VA has top oncologists (cancer doctors) who treat veterans with mesothelioma. With VA benefits, you can typically get care from these doctors for free.
Undergo surgery
Many mesothelioma specialists agree that surgeries offer the best chance to improve your life span. Surgeries allow doctors to remove mesothelioma tumors so the cancer won’t spread.
Get support
Mesothelioma is stressful, but with help from friends, family, Veterans Service Officers (VSOs), and our veterans advocates, you can get support to battle this cancer.
U.S. Veterans Who Outlived Their Mesothelioma Prognosis
U.S. veterans are one of the highest-risk groups for mesothelioma due to widespread military asbestos use. Many veterans have bravely fought this cancer, living longer than expected.
Learn about veterans who outlived their prognosis to become mesothelioma survivors below.
Art Putt
- Military branch: U.S. Air Force & U.S. Army
- Diagnosis: Pleural mesothelioma
- Original prognosis: 6 months to 1 year
Art Putt suffered asbestos exposure while working as a mechanic. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2018 and is still living today thanks to treatments and nutritional changes.
“When somebody passes on so quickly, they don't get a chance to say what they feel. I've had quality time with my family and my wife.”
— Art Putt, U.S. veteran & mesothelioma survivorErnie Conry
- Military branch: U.S. Army
- Diagnosis: Pleural mesothelioma
- Original prognosis: 12 to 21 months
Following decades of working with asbestos products as a mechanic, Ernie was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He lived for 7 years and used his new lease on life to warn others about the dangers of asbestos.
“Don’t let the cancer bog you down. Someday, it might bog you down, but my God, if you are still moving, keep moving.”
— Ernie Conry, U.S. Army veteran & mesothelioma survivorWalt Twidwell
- Military branch: U.S. Navy
- Diagnosis: Pleural mesothelioma
- Original prognosis: 1 year or less
Walt was diagnosed with advanced-stage mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos on U.S. Navy ships. Deciding against major treatments, Walt lived 2 and a half years — an incredible feat.
“Asbestos didn’t kill anybody on the spot, that’s for sure. It took years later. That’s when it started catching up with us.”
— Walt Twidwell, U.S. Navy veteran & mesothelioma survivor
Contact us now for help potentially improving your mesothelioma prognosis after a diagnosis.
Pleural Mesothelioma Prognosis
Pleural mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs. The overall life expectancy is 18 months, and the 5-year survival rate is 12%.
Early-stage patients have a better malignant pleural mesothelioma prognosis. These patients can often get surgeries, allowing them to live for about 3 years on average.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma patients live for 4 and a half years on average, and the 5-year survival rate is 47%.
Doctors can often treat peritoneal mesothelioma effectively with surgery and chemotherapy, which is why it has a better prognosis than other types.
Prognosis of Other Mesothelioma Types
There are two rare types of mesothelioma: pericardial, which forms in the heart lining, and testicular, which develops in the testicle lining.
Pericardial mesothelioma has the worst prognosis of any type. The life expectancy is 2 to 6 months, and the 2-year survival rate is 12.2%.
Testicular mesothelioma has a relatively good prognosis. Patients live for 46.7 months on average when treated with surgery, and half of all patients are still alive 5 years after diagnosis.
Prognosis of Mesothelioma by Stage
Malignant pleural mesothelioma has four stages. Early-stage patients have a better prognosis as the cancer hasn’t spread outside the lung lining, so doctors can destroy tumors with surgery.
Learn about the prognosis for each stage of mesothelioma below.
Stage 1 Mesothelioma Prognosis
Patients with stage 1 mesothelioma live for 21 months on average. The 2-year survival rate is 39% when treated with surgery, according to a 2022 review of the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
Stage 2 Mesothelioma Prognosis
Stage 2 mesothelioma patients have an average life expectancy of 19 months, with 39% living for 2 years after surgery. The cancer has started to spread, but doctors can still use treatments like surgery to help patients live longer.
Stage 3 Mesothelioma Prognosis
Stage 3 mesothelioma has a 2-year survival rate of 41%, according to the NCDB review. The average life expectancy of these patients is 16 months. Surgery may or may not be possible in this stage due to cancer spread, which can affect overall survival.
Stage 4 Mesothelioma Prognosis
Stage 4 mesothelioma has the least favorable prognosis since metastasis (spread throughout the body) has occurred.
Patients who undergo surgery typically live for a year after diagnosis. The 2-year survival rate for stage 4 mesothelioma is 31%. That said, long-term survivorship is still possible.
Treatments for any stage of mesothelioma can be expensive, but we can help you afford the care you need. Get a Free Case Review now to learn more.
Cell Type and Prognosis of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma tumors are made up of different types of cells, which can impact your prognosis because some mesothelioma cell types respond better to treatment. Find the mesothelioma prognosis for your cell type below.
Epithelioid Mesothelioma Prognosis
Epithelioid mesothelioma has the best prognosis. The cells stick together, meaning the cancer spreads less quickly. Patients live for 14 months on average and have a 2-year median survival rate of 45%, according to the 2022 NCDB review.
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma Prognosis
Patients with sarcomatoid mesothelioma often face a poor prognosis. These cells spread quickly, making tumors hard to treat. The life expectancy is 4 months. The NCDB review found that only 15% of patients were alive 2 years later.
Biphasic Mesothelioma Prognosis
Biphasic mesothelioma contains both epithelial and sarcomatoid cells. Patients have a better prognosis if there are more epithelioid cells present. Biphasic patients live for 10 months on average, and the 2-year survival rate is 22%.
Mesothelioma Treatment and Prognosis
The best way to improve your mesothelioma prognosis is to get treatment since it allows doctors to destroy or remove cancer tumors.
Some patients have outlived their prognosis by months or even years with the right mesothelioma treatments. Find out more about different treatment options below.
Surgery
Mesothelioma surgery is often key to improving prognosis. Surgeries allow doctors to remove cancer tumors from the body so patients can live longer.
Top surgeries to improve mesothelioma prognosis include:
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP): This surgery is used to treat pleural mesothelioma by removing the lung closest to the cancer. Patients live for 35.6 months on average and have a 5-year survival rate of 24%.
- Pleurectomy with decortication (P/D): Also used to treat pleural mesothelioma, this surgery removes the lung lining and cancer but spares both lungs. The average life expectancy is 34 months, and the 5-year survival rate is 29%.
- Cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC: This treatment targets peritoneal mesothelioma by surgically removing tumors from the abdomen lining and bathing the surgery site in chemotherapy. The 5-year survival rate is 47%, and the typical life expectancy is 53 months.
“I think it's really important to know what your disease status is and whether your doctors think that a surgery is going to be used in the future.”
— Dr. Deepa Magge, mesothelioma specialist
Other Treatments to Improve Prognosis of Mesothelioma
In addition to surgery, doctors can also use other treatments to help mesothelioma patients live longer.
Treatments to boost prognosis include:
- Chemotherapy: Medications break up cancer tumors and kill cells. Pleural mesothelioma patients treated with chemotherapy lived for 14 months on average and had a 2-year survival rate of 29%, according to the NCDB review.
- Immunotherapy: These medications boost the immune system’s response to cancer. Immunotherapy helped mesothelioma patients live for an average of 18.1 months in a 2020 study. The 2-year survival rate was 41%.
- Radiation: Beams of energy shrink cancer tumors. The NCDB study found that pleural mesothelioma patients had a 2-year survival rate of 26% and an average life span of 1 year when treated with radiation therapy.
- Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields): Electrical pads attached to the chest stop cancer cells from dividing. Pleural mesothelioma patients treated with TTFields and chemotherapy lived for over 18 months on average, with a 2-year survival rate of 42%, in a recent study.
- Clinical trials: These tests see how new treatments can improve prognosis. For example, an ongoing study is looking at the antibody RSO-021, which may be able to shrink mesothelioma tumors so patients can live longer.
Top doctors can recommend the best treatments to enhance your mesothelioma prognosis depending on the cancer type, stage, and other factors.
Mesothelioma Prognosis Without Treatment
The prognosis for mesothelioma patients who do not undergo cancer treatment can be quite poor.
Pleural mesothelioma patients only live 4-12 months without treatment, according to Cancer Therapy Advisor. Untreated peritoneal mesothelioma patients live for 6-12 months, as a Translational Lung Cancer Research study noted.
Get a Free Veterans Packet to explore treatments that could potentially improve your mesothelioma prognosis.
Remission, Recurrence, and Prognosis for Mesothelioma
Patients may experience remission and recurrence after undergoing mesothelioma treatments, both of which can have a big impact on their prognosis.
Here's what to know about each:
- Mesothelioma remission means the cancer is no longer growing, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Patients have a better prognosis and quality of life if their cancer enters remission. You could enter remission after treatment.
- Mesothelioma recurrence is when the cancer comes back after a period of remission. Treatments may improve your prognosis if recurrence occurs.
Your doctors can recommend the best treatment plan to work toward remission or fight a cancer recurrence.
Demographic Factors Affecting Mesothelioma Prognosis
Many demographic factors also play a role in a mesothelioma patient’s prognosis. View data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) program below.
These factors include:
- Age: Patients 65 or older have a 7.7% 5-year survival rate, while those 50 and younger have a 42.1% 5-year survival rate.
- Race: Black people have a 14% 5-year survival rate, white and Hispanic people have roughly an 11% 5-year survival rate, and Asian people or Pacific Islanders have a 9% 5-year survival rate.
- Sex: Women tend to have a better prognosis than men. The 5-year survival rate of women with mesothelioma was 18.2%, while the average 5-year survival rate for men was 9.1%.
Get our Free Veterans Packet to explore mesothelioma treatment options that could help you.
Work With Us To Get Help Improving Your Mesothelioma Prognosis
If you or a U.S. veteran you love is fighting mesothelioma, the Mesothelioma Veterans Center may be able to help you improve your prognosis.
Work with us to find:
- Cancer doctors: We can connect you with mesothelioma specialists nationwide and get the care you need.
- Financial compensation: We can help you pursue payouts to cover your treatment expenses.
- Treatments: If you’re a U.S. veteran, you might qualify for free or low-cost mesothelioma treatments with VA health care. We can also connect you with civilian cancer centers if needed.
- Support: A mesothelioma prognosis can bring a lot of uncertainty. Our nurses and veterans advocates can connect you with support groups and other resources.
Call (877) 450-8973 now to get started and see how we can help you.
Mesothelioma Prognosis FAQs
What is mesothelioma prognosis?
The average prognosis for mesothelioma is 18 months, with 12% of patients still alive 5 years after diagnosis.
That said, you could live much longer depending on your cancer stage, type, and which treatment options you receive. Some mesothelioma patients have lived for 20 years or more — much longer than the average prognosis.
Is mesothelioma always fatal?
Mesothelioma is not always fatal. There are many U.S. veterans and civilians living full lives after a mesothelioma diagnosis.
The longest-surviving patients have been cancer-free for nearly 30 years and are still going strong today.
The best way to become a long-term survivor is to get treatment. Get our Free Veterans Packet to explore potential treatments.
How long do you live after being diagnosed with mesothelioma?
The average mesothelioma life expectancy is 18 months after a diagnosis, but you could potentially live much longer depending on the type and cell type you have, your stage, and treatment options.
Your doctor can tell you how long you can expect to live and which treatments you qualify for.
Is there a cure for mesothelioma?
There is currently no cure for mesothelioma, but proper treatment can help patients improve their overall prognosis.
Mesothelioma doctors, researchers, and nonprofit organizations continue to study new mesothelioma treatments and search for a cure.
What is the prognosis for recurrent mesothelioma?
The prognosis for recurrent mesothelioma depends on how far the cancer spreads and how it responds to treatments.
While some cases of recurrent mesothelioma resist treatments that worked initially, catching the cancer early on increases your odds of having a better prognosis.
What are the odds of beating mesothelioma?
Though the odds vary by case, it may be possible for you to beat mesothelioma or outlive your prognosis.
Some mesothelioma cancer patients have lived for 20 years or more with this cancer by getting top treatments despite high mortality rates.
What is the mesothelioma prognosis stage 4?
The average stage 4 mesothelioma prognosis is poor, with patients living 1 year on average. The 2-year survival rate is 31%. But, you may be able to live longer if you’re able to undergo aggressive treatments.
