Asbestos Cancer (Mesothelioma): Understanding Prognosis & Treatment

Mesothelioma is a malignant type of cancer that is the result of a person's exposure to asbestos. The cancerous tumors associated with the disease typically form in the linings of internal organs, leading to a poor prognosis.

Considerations

• There is usually a poor prognosis for mesothelioma because it is difficult to detect until it advances to a stage at which doctors can do little for a patient. The symptoms of the disease frequently closely resemble those of much less severe conditions.

Five-Year Survival Rate

• Statistics from the American Cancer Society state that the five-year survival rate for mesothelioma patients is 10 percent.

One-Year Survival Rate

• The one-year survival rate for this asbestos-related cancer is at 40 percent as of November 2009.

Types

• The factors that determine a patient's prognosis include her general health, age and the kind of mesothelioma she has. The disease can affect the lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity and the heart, as well as other areas.

Size

• According to the Asbestos.com website, physicians diagnose as many as 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma in the United States every year.