Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Multiple studies over the years have hinted at factors which can directly correlate to longer survival rates in mesothelioma patients.  The most well-known factor associated with longer survival is the type of mesothelioma one is diagnosed with. 

It has long been established that patients with epithelioid mesothelioma respond much better to treatments and live longer in general when compared to those suffering from either sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma.  However, a recent study published in the British Journal of Cancer adds that the patient’s age and the physical location of the cancer itself also play a huge role in determining the life expectancy in the face of mesothelioma diagnosis.

The study examined data collected between 2005 and 2008 from the detailed medical histories of 1353 patients from the Netherlands.  Upon correlation and examination researchers did indeed discover significant “prognostic factors” across the entire population. 

1)      Younger patients generally survive longer.  This is thought to be because younger patients are generally in better health, apart from their cancer diagnosis, and thus are able to undergo more rigorous treatment regimens including aggressive chemotherapy, invasive surgeries, and extensive radiation therapy.  Unfortunately, due to the nature of the asbestos cancers, people are not often diagnosed until age 50 or later.  Indeed, half the population examined for the purposes of this study were 70 years of age or older. 

2)      The specific subtype of mesothelioma is perhaps the single most important prognostic indicator.  The study results confirmed that epithelioid patients respond much better to treatment and live longer.  It found very little difference in survival rates when sarcomatoid and biphasic mesothelioma patients were examined. 

3)      Pleural mesothelioma patients without metastasis live longer and fare better.  The pleura is the membranous sac which encases the lungs and other vital organs in the chest and abdomen.  The study found that pleural mesothelioma (if it is contained entirely within the pleura) has the highest survival rates. However, if the cancer exists outside the pleura or has metastasized to other portions of the body, survival rates drop significantly.  This is thought to be because pleural mesothelioma is more easily treated than peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen) or pericardial mesothelioma (heart).  The pleura can be partially or completely removed and introduced to higher than normal levels of chemotherapy through intrapleural effusion, leading to better overall prognosis. 

However, despite the differences in diagnosis and prognosis, researchers discovered that the median one year survival rate for all patients was just 47 percent.  Less than half of the entire group of 1300 people survived a year after being diagnosed.  One year after that, the surviving groups was more than halved again with only 20 percent of mesothelioma patients living to 24 months after diagnosis. 

This illustrates the aggressiveness and destructive nature of this particular asbestos disease.  It also illustrates the frustration that mesothelioma doctors and researchers face when combatting this disease:  patients, even when treated, rarely survive longer than a year or two.

While multiple studies have produced similar results, the Netherlands study is one of the first to examine all of these factors in relation to a single population of study participants. 

While some may see the results of this study as “old news,” any advancement in knowledge about this deadly asbestos disease is welcomed by the mesothelioma community.  By accurately understanding how mesothelioma affects its victims, doctors can better mold specific treatment plans to fit individual patients.  With better treatment plans come better prognosis and a higher quality of life.  Until a cure for mesothelioma is found, improving the quality of life and life expectancy of mesothelioma patients remains the top priority for the majority of health practitioners in the field.