Most mesothelioma patients have an average life expectancy of 4-18 months, according to Penn Medicine. However, some veterans and civilians have lived for 20 years or more with this cancer. We can help you get treatments that may improve your malignant mesothelioma life expectancy.
Get advice on treatment and improving life expectancy with a Free Veterans Packet.
What Is My Life Expectancy When Diagnosed With Mesothelioma?
Your mesothelioma life expectancy measures how long doctors think you’ll live after a diagnosis. Mesothelioma may lead to a poor life expectancy as it is aggressive and hard to treat. However, every diagnosis is unique and you may live longer than expected.
Many veterans and civilians with mesothelioma have outlived their life expectancies by months, years, or even decades, becoming long-term survivors.
Quick Facts on Life Expectancy of Mesothelioma Cancer
- The average mesothelioma life expectancy is a year and a half or less.
- Pleural mesothelioma patients live for 12-21 months on average, according to F1000 Research.
- The average survival for peritoneal mesothelioma is 53 months, as noted by The Annals of Translational Medicine.
- Some mesothelioma patients have lived for nearly 30 years despite being given only a few years or months to live.
If you or someone you love is a veteran facing mesothelioma, we can help you find top local doctors and treatments to give you the best chance of living longer.
Get a Free Veterans Packet now to see how you may be able to improve your mesothelioma life expectancy after a diagnosis.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy vs. Survival Rate
Life expectancy is different from mesothelioma survival rate, which measures the number of patients living a set number of years after diagnosis. The 5-year mesothelioma survival rate is 15%, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Your doctors will provide both your unique life expectancy and overall survival rate figures as part of a broader mesothelioma prognosis (health outlook).
However, it’s important to keep in mind that you aren’t a statistic. In other words, you may have much more time to live. Even late-stage mesothelioma patients have achieved survivorship in many cases with medical care.
Factors Affecting Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Your mesothelioma life expectancy can vary based on your cancer stage, which treatments you receive, and other important factors.
Learn more about the key elements that impact life expectancy for mesothelioma below.
Mesothelioma Treatments
Aggressive treatment to destroy and remove cancer tumors is the best way to improve your mesothelioma life span. Your doctors can suggest options like surgery, chemotherapy, and more to help you live longer.
“There’s 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
Mesothelioma Type
There are four types of mesothelioma depending on where cancer tumors form in your body. Which type you have impacts your life expectancy as some are easier to treat than others.
Here are mesothelioma life expectancies by type:
- Pleural mesothelioma: 12-21 months
- Peritoneal mesothelioma: 53 months
- Pericardial mesothelioma: 2.5-6 months
- Testicular mesothelioma: 46 months
Sources: Modern Pathology, Environmental Health, Cancer Management and Research, Frontiers in Oncology
You’ll have a better chance of living longer if you have peritoneal or testicular mesothelioma. Doctors have more effective treatment options available for these types.
Call (877) 450-8973 right now for help finding doctors and treatments that could help improve your mesothelioma life span.
Mesothelioma Stage
You’ll likely live longer if you’re diagnosed with early-stage mesothelioma since the cancer is easier to treat. Many patients have become long-term survivors if diagnosed early on.
In later stages, the cancer has spread, which is known as metastasis. The metastatic mesothelioma life expectancy is poor, with patients living for only around 1 year.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Stage
| Stage | Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 mesothelioma life expectancy | 19.2 months |
| Stage 2 mesothelioma life expectancy | 19.2 months |
| Stage 3 mesothelioma life expectancy | 18.9 months |
| Stage 4 mesothelioma life expectancy | 13.1 months |
Source: National Cancer Database
Cell Type
Your mesothelioma tumors will be made up of different types of cells. Some mesothelioma cell types are easier to treat than others, which affects your life expectancy.
Here are mesothelioma life expectancy figures by cell type:
- Epithelioid mesothelioma: This is the most common type and easiest to treat. The epithelioid mesothelioma life expectancy is 14 months.
- Sarcomatoid mesothelioma: This is the rarest and most aggressive type. The average sarcomatoid mesothelioma life expectancy is only 4 months.
- Biphasic mesothelioma: You have this type if your tumors contain both epithelial and sarcomatoid cells. The life expectancy is 10 months.
Source: Tumori Journal, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank
Doctors can determine which cell type you have and how it may affect your mesothelioma cancer life expectancy when making a diagnosis.
Additional Factors Impacting Mesothelioma Life Span
Many unique elements play a role in how long you’ll live following a mesothelioma diagnosis.
More factors influencing life expectancy include:
- Age: If you’re younger, you have a better chance of living longer since you’ll likely be able to withstand aggressive treatments.
- Gender: Women tend to have slightly better mesothelioma life expectancies.
- Overall health: If you’re in good health besides having cancer, you may have a better life expectancy as you could qualify for more treatments.
- Nutrition: Getting enough nutrients before, during, and after treatment may improve your overall health and survival. Doctors can help you follow a good nutrition plan.
Get our Free Veterans Packet now to explore ways that can potentially help you live longer after a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Without Treatment
You’ll typically need to get treatment if you want to live longer. Otherwise, your mesothelioma life expectancy will be much poorer. Many mesothelioma patients live for just a year or less without treatment.
Here are statistics about mesothelioma life expectancy without treatment:
- Mesothelioma patients live for an average of 4-12 months without treatment.
- Pleural mesothelioma patients typically live 12 months with palliative care, which eases pain but does not treat the cancer.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma patients who don’t get treatments live 6-12 months, as noted by Translational Lung Cancer Research.
Your mesothelioma doctors can help determine which treatment plans will work best for you. Even if you decide against major treatments like surgery, palliative options could improve your quality of life and help you live longer.
Life Expectancy in Mesothelioma With Treatment
Doctors can use many different mesothelioma treatments to help patients live as long as possible. Learn more about treatment options that could boost your life expectancy.
Surgery
Surgery is arguably the best treatment for improving mesothelioma life expectancy. Mesothelioma surgeries allow doctors to remove cancer tumors.Surgeries that can help you live longer include:
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP): Used to treat pleural mesothelioma by removing the lung nearest to the cancer and tumors. The average life span is nearly 29 months, according to Translational Lung Cancer Research.
- Pleurectomy with decortication (P/D): Also used to treat pleural mesothelioma by removing tumors but leaving both lungs intact. Patients live for 34 months on average, as noted by The Journal of Thoracic Disease.
- Cytoreduction with HIPEC: This is surgery and chemotherapy used to treat peritoneal mesothelioma. The life expectancy with this treatment is 53 months.
Mesothelioma specialists can determine which surgery will work best for you when developing your treatment plan.
Get our Free Veterans Packet to explore more treatments that could help you or someone you love live longer with mesothelioma.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy medications kill cancer cells. Pleural mesothelioma patients lived for nearly 16 months with chemotherapy, according to Translational Lung Cancer Research. Patients may live longer when chemotherapy is used along with other treatments.Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy allows the body to better detect and kill cancer. Immunotherapy helped pleural mesothelioma patients live for 18 months on average, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Radiation
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to shrink cancer tumors. Mesothelioma radiation is typically used alongside surgery. Radiation helped late-stage patients who had surgery live for 19 months longer on average.Tumor Treatment Fields (TTFs)
These use electrically charged pads to prevent cancer from spreading. Mesothelioma patients who used TTFs alongside chemotherapy had an average survival time of over 18 months.Clinical Trials
Clinical trials test new treatments that may help improve mesothelioma life expectancy. Both immunotherapy and TTFs were approved for wider use after clinical trials showed they could help patients live longer.Contact us now to speak with our patient advocates about treatments that could improve your mesothelioma life expectancy.
Life Expectancy by Type of Mesothelioma
There are several types of mesothelioma depending on where the tumors first form. Some types of mesothelioma are easier to treat than others, which can impact life expectancy.
Pleural Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Malignant pleural mesothelioma forms in the lining of the lungs (pleura). The average life expectancy with pleural mesothelioma is 12-21 months. Being diagnosed at an early stage and getting aggressive treatments can all help patients live longer.
U.S. veteran Art Putt is still alive nearly 10 years later after his 2018 diagnosis. Given a year or less to live, Art credits diet changes and treatments with his survival.
“We can’t change the outcome, but we’re enjoying the ride.”
— Art Putt, veteran with mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). It’s the easiest type to treat, so patients tend to live longer. The life expectancy of peritoneal mesothelioma is 53 months (over 4 years).
Julie Gundlach is approaching 20 years of survivorship after being diagnosed in her early 30s. Doctors originally said she had less than a year to live, but she defied the odds after undergoing multiple treatments.
“Never give up hope — and remember that your life is yours, not the disease’s.”
— Julie Gundlach, mesothelioma survivor
Pericardial Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Pericardial mesothelioma forms in the heart lining, spreads quickly, and is difficult to treat. The average life expectancy for pericardial mesothelioma is 2.5-6 months, according to Modern Pathology.
Testicular Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Testicular mesothelioma patients can often live a long time if they get treatment. Patients with testicular mesothelioma have a life expectancy of over 46 months, according to Environmental Health.
Get our Free Veterans Packet to learn more about treatments that could improve your survival with any type of mesothelioma.
Get Help Improving Life Expectancy of Mesothelioma Cancer
Facing an aggressive cancer like mesothelioma can be scary, but it’s important to know that you may live a long time. Military and civilian doctors can recommend treatments that may greatly improve your survival time.
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center is here to support you or a veteran you love navigating a cancer diagnosis.
We’re here to help you:
- Find top doctors and treatment options that may allow you to live longer
- Explore financial compensation options so you can afford treatment
- Pursue VA health care benefits, allowing you to get care at little to no cost
Get our Free Veterans Packet or call (877) 450-8973 to explore all the ways we may be able to assist you.
Mesothelioma Life Span FAQs
What is the life expectancy of someone with mesothelioma?
The average life expectancy of someone with mesothelioma is 4-18 months, according to Penn Medicine. However, some have lived for 20-30 years with the right treatment plan.
“Make the best of it as you can,” said Art Putt, a U.S. veteran and mesothelioma survivor. “Get as close to your family and friends as you can.”
What’s the mesothelioma life expectancy with immunotherapy?
The life expectancy for mesothelioma patients treated with immunotherapy is 18 months, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Immunotherapy could help you live longer by allowing your immune system to kill more cancer cells.
Contact us now for help finding treatments like mesothelioma immunotherapy that may improve your life expectancy.
How fast does mesothelioma spread?
Mesothelioma grows and spreads quickly. It can potentially become fatal in months without treatment.
However, doctors can recommend treatments to help improve your mesothelioma life span after a diagnosis. With prompt medical care, you could potentially live much longer.
What is the metastatic mesothelioma life expectancy?
If you have metastatic mesothelioma, your life expectancy will typically be 1 year or less. Metastasis means that the cancer has spread through your body, meaning it’s harder to treat.
However, some patients have become long-term survivors even with metastatic cancer. For instance, John Stahl is still living today despite a stage 4 mesothelioma diagnosis in 2019. “His positive attitude has kept him going, and I think that helps his health,” his wife Dee said.
Is mesothelioma 100% fatal?
Mesothelioma is not 100% fatal. You may be able to outlive average life expectancy projections and become a long-term survivor.
For example, U.S. Army and Air Force veteran Art Putt was given less than 1 year to live after his pleural mesothelioma diagnosis in 2018, but he’s still living today.
Is life expectancy the same thing as survival rate?
No. Mesothelioma life expectancy is the expected survival time of a cancer patient. Survival rate is the percentage of patients still living after a certain amount of time.
Life expectancy is usually measured in months, while mesothelioma survival rates are given in percentages. The overall 5-year mesothelioma survival rate is 15%.
How can I live longer with mesothelioma?
You can live longer with mesothelioma by getting treatments to slow the cancer and remove tumors. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising may also play a role in helping you live longer with this cancer.
Call (877) 450-8973 for help finding specialists who can recommend tips on improving your mesothelioma life span.
Does surgery increase life expectancy in pleural mesothelioma?
Potentially, yes. Getting surgery could help you live longer if you have early-stage pleural mesothelioma. Surgeries have allowed other pleural mesothelioma patients to live for over 2-3 years, giving them more time with family and friends.
Your doctor can give you a better idea as to whether surgery could help improve your pleural mesothelioma life expectancy.
