Mesothelioma Survival Rates
A cancer diagnosis is scary, but malignant pleural mesothelioma (meso) is especially so. It’s a difficult cancer to treat successfully, and most of those with it don’t live long. You and your cancer are unique, so statistics can only give a general and outdated idea of what you’re up against. But to make the right decisions on treatment and how to live the rest of your life, you should know what you’re facing.
Louisville’s Satterley & Kelley PLLC has more than 20 years of experience litigating Kentucky asbestos and mesothelioma cases. Due to our success, which includes millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, we are one of the state’s leading law firms for helping clients with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
What Survival Rates Should Mean to You
Survival rates state what percentage of people with the same type and stage of meso are alive a given amount of time (usually five years) after their diagnosis, according to the American Cancer Society. No statistic or study can tell you how long you will live, but they should give you a better idea of how effective your treatment will likely be.
A five-year survival rate doesn’t mean a person is cured, according to the Cleveland Clinic:
- The data includes those whose cancer is in remission. While most cancers that return do so within two to three years, it may come back later
- Someone may develop a second cancer, not the one they first had. This cancer may be independent of the first one or could be a side effect of cancer treatment
Some factors affecting your prognosis include the following, reports the National Cancer Institute:
- Your cancer type and its location
- The cancer stage, which may refer to the tumor size and if it’s spread to other areas of your body
- The cancer grade, which covers how abnormal the cancer cells appear under a microscope and may indicate how quickly the cancer may grow and spread
- Certain cancer cell traits, like genetic changes
- Your age and overall health before you developed cancer
- How well you respond to treatment
Although these statistics may help you understand what to expect, what happens to you may be very different than the picture they may paint. You may not do as well as others or survive much longer.
The Five-Year Relative Survival Rates for Meso
A relative survival ratecompares those with the same stage and type of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) with the overall population. If the five-year relative survival rate for a specific meso stage is 30%, that means those with it are, on average, about 30% as likely as people who don’t have it to live for at least five years after diagnosis.
The American Cancer Society uses information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to create survival statistics for different cancers. They consider whether the meso has spread and, if so, how far.
- Localized: The meso is limited to the lung’s pleura
- Regional: It’s spread to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
- Distant: The meso is in other parts of the body, such as organs, bones, or the pleura on the other side of the body.
These statistics are based on those diagnosed with meso from 2011 to 2017.
| SEER Stage | Five-Year Relative Survival Rate |
| Localized | 20% |
| Regional | 16% |
| Distant | 8% |
| All SEER stages combined | 12% |
These numbers apply to the meso stage when it’s first diagnosed.They don’t apply when, later during treatment, the meso progresses or returns afterward.
How Does This Compare to Other Cancers?
To put things in perspective, these are the American Cancer Society’s survival rate estimates for breast cancer patients based on those diagnosed between 2011 and 2017.
| SEER Stage | Five-Year Relative Survival Rate |
| Localized | 99% |
| Regional | 86% |
| Distant | 29% |
| All SEER stages combined | 90% |
These are the estimates for colon cancer patients based on those diagnosed from 2011 to 2017.
| SEER Stage | Five-Year Relative Survival Rate |
| Localized | 91% |
| Regional | 72% |
| Distant | 14% |
| All SEER stages combined | 64% |
What are Survival Rates By Stage?
The SEER stages are somewhat different than how your physician might stage you. Cancer Research UK has one-year survival statistics by stage for those diagnosed with meso in England between 2013 and 2017:
- About 60% of those in Stages I and II
- About 50% of people diagnosed with Stage III
- About 30% of those diagnosed with Stage IV
Overall, 45% of people at all stages survive a year after diagnosis. Just over 5% will live for five or more years after their disease is diagnosed.
Diagnosed With Mesothelioma? Talk to Lawyers You Can Trust
If you or a family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma, or you work at a site known for asbestos exposure and are worried about your risk of developing it, you should understand your rights to compensation. We can review your case and help you recover damages to cover your lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
You can schedule a free consultation at our Louisville office by calling 502-785-8758 or toll-free at 855-385-9532. If it’s more convenient, you can also fill out our online contact form.