The rare occurrence of mesothelioma is often accompanied by the onset of harsh realities. The general understanding associated with the asbestos-related cancer is that the life expectancy of those suffering from the illness may range from 4 to 18 months following initial diagnosis. This time period combined with the exhaustive search for new and effective treatment strategies forces health care providers to sometimes offer palliative rather than curative measures of treatment.

Though medical professionals and researchers have established the general time frame regarding life expectancy, the truth remains that each patient’s prognosis may vary dependant on several key factors. Consideration must be made for the age of the patient when the initial diagnosis is made, the type of mesothelioma cancer found in the patient, the time elapsed from onset of the condition to the diagnosis, and the general health of the patient at the time of diagnosis. Each of these factors weighs heavily when determining mesothelioma life expectancy.

Mesothelioma may not manifest signs or symptoms for several decades after the initial period of asbestos exposure. This factor alone should underscore the importance of early detection. The early detection of mesothelioma in some patients has seen an average life expectancy rate of at least 2 years.

The average age of an individual diagnosed with mesothelioma stands at 60. The age of the individual combined with accompanying health issues such as tobacco use often complicates the effort to increase the life expectancy of those suffering from the ailment. Current curative treatment measures for mesothelioma include surgical removal of the diseased tissue, radiation therapy, the introduction of chemical and drugs, and the use of the patient’s immune system to fight the cancer.

Innovative procedures such as extra pleural pneumonectomy and intracavitary chemotherapy have given rise to optimism regarding patient survival rates. These new procedures have shown promise as surgeons have recorded successful trials while applying these techniques to mesothelioma sufferers.

Palliative or quality of life measures are often used to comfort an individual diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. Daily drainage of affected tissue combined with the use of drugs to control pain is seen in many cases where the life expectancy is considered low.

As earlier noted, each case regarding life expectancy and mesothelioma must be judged by the factors surrounding the individual’s diagnosis. The treatment of the rare asbestos-related cancer remains open to innovation and trial. Efforts to find a cure and increase life expectancy have seen promise and given hope to those suffering the life altering ailment.