Survival statistics for mesothelioma

Survival statistics for mesothelioma are very general estimates and must be interpreted very carefully. Because these statistics are based on the experience of groups of people, they can’t be used to predict a particular person’s chances of survival.

There are many different ways to measure and report cancer survival statistics. Your doctor can explain the statistics for mesothelioma and what they mean to you.

Net survival represents the probability of surviving cancer in the absence of other causes of death. It is used to give an estimate of the percentage of people who will survive cancer.

In Canada, the 5-year net survival for any type of mesothelioma is 8%. This means about 8% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma will survive for at least 5 years.

Survival varies with each stage and subtype of pleural mesothelioma. It is an aggressive disease that is generally associated with a poor prognosis. It is often not found until it is at an advanced stage, which can make it harder to treat. Only a small number of people are diagnosed with early-stage mesothelioma.

Survival by stage of pleural mesothelioma is reported as median survival. Median survival is the length of time after diagnosis or the start of treatment at which half of the people with this type of cancer are still alive. The other half will not live as long.

There are no specific Canadian statistics available for the different stages of pleural mesothelioma. The following information comes from a variety of sources. It may include statistics from other countries that are likely to have similar outcomes as in Canada.

There are no statistics available for survival by stage of peritoneal mesothelioma. This is because there isn’t a staging system for peritoneal mesothelioma.

Research shows that people with the epithelioid subtype of peritoneal mesothelioma who have surgery and chemotherapy have a median survival of 53 months (which is about 4 and a half years). The overall median survival regardless of subtype or treatment is 19.5 months. This statistic may change as treatments for peritoneal mesothelioma improve.

Talk to your doctor about your prognosis. A prognosis depends on many factors, including:

• your health history
• the type of cancer
• the stage
• certain characteristics of the cancer
• the treatments chosen
• how the cancer responds to treatment

Only a doctor familiar with these factors can put all of this information together with survival statistics to arrive at a prognosis.