Despite the fact that mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer, is a rare disease, it is one of the most dangerous and lethal forms of cancer that is diagnosed. Furthermore, it is one of the most difficult types of cancer to detect due to its long period of dormancy: a patient with mesothelioma can live for up to fifty years before the first symptoms of the disease appear.
When a patient becomes symptomatic, doctors frequently waste valuable treatment time because mesothelioma warning signs mimic the symptoms of common respiratory problems.
It is also known as an aggressive type of cancer because it can spread quickly from affected areas of the body to other organs. These specific factors, when combined with the demographic of who appears to be more susceptible to the disease, have made mesothelioma particularly lethal.
If you or a loved one has mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, you may be eligible for substantial compensation.
There are currently over thirty billion dollars in asbestos trust funds waiting for those who have been diagnosed with the asbestos ailment. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should fill out an asbestos claim form for compensation, which contains information on top mesothelioma attorneys in your area.
You will also learn how to get paid in 90 days, how to file an asbestos trust fund claim, and so on.
Mesothelioma-related statistics
According to a 2099 report released by the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, approximately 18,000 patients were diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and died between 1999 and 2005. Even though the numbers vary from year to year, the annual death rate of mesothelioma patients is 14 per one million. When compared to the entire population, this is still a very small percentage.
However, it is the disease's specific lethality and rarity that make mesothelioma a disease with very low survival rates. Despite the fact that mesothelioma patients' survival rates are dependent on a variety of factors, a patient can expect a pot diagnosis survival time of 4 months to a year and a half.
However, keep in mind that there are always exceptions to this rule, and each patient should speak with their physician about their own personal expectations and general health condition.
How long a patient lives after being diagnosed with mesothelioma is typically determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to age, race, gender, and overall health. For example, if a patient is a male between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four, in good physical condition, and has no preexisting conditions, his chances of surviving longer than eighteen months remain quite promising.
Patients like these benefit from early detection and surgical treatment of asbestos cancer. However, keep in mind that this age group is the least affected by asbestos-related cancer.
For older patients, the average survival rate is lower. According to the American Cancer Society (ACC), while five to ten percent of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma can live for many years or more after the disease is diagnosed, these people are typically young and have cancers that can be treated surgically.
Although the average mesothelioma patient is a white male aged 60 to 70 who was heavily exposed to asbestos during his active work periods, the cancer has already progressed and cannot be treated surgically.
Older patients may also have debilitating health conditions, such as hypertension and cardiopulmonary disease, that shorten their lives.
Patients in these two age groups (75 to 84 and 65 to 74) have the highest total number of deaths. Between 1999 and 2005, 12,150 of the 18,086 recorded mesothelioma-caused deaths occurred in people aged 65 to 84.
Factors to Consider Regarding Survival Rates
In general, it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict an individual's life expectancy after being diagnosed with asbestos cancer. Along with each patient's case being unique, the disease is still regarded as a new and distinct form of cancer, and averages based on the tumor-lymph node metastasis (TNM) process of staging are difficult to assess at this time.
However, studies indicate that a patient's life expectancy after a pot diagnosis is highly dependent on a number of factors.
• Latency: Unfortunately, mesothelioma has a very long latency period, lasting anywhere from twenty to fifty years after initial exposure. This makes early detection more difficult, reducing the patient's chances of survival. The earlier the disease is diagnosed or detected, the greater the patient's life expectancy and survival rate.
• The stage of the cancer after initial diagnosis: victims diagnosed with mesothelioma in stage one or two have a much higher survival rate than those diagnosed in the later stages, stage three and four.
• Tumor removal: Surgery is usually not an option because most cases of mesothelioma are discovered after the disease has progressed to its later stages. However, if the disease is detected early and the tumor can be removed surgically, the survival rate is usually increased.
• Age: As previously stated, age has an impact on a patient's life expectancy. The younger the patient, the better their chances of surviving longer and increasing their life expectancy. However, while it is uncommon, some older patients in good physical health may have just as good a chance as those younger.
• The location of the disease: Mesothelioma affects various parts of the body. Although the majority of mesothelioma cases affect the pleural area of the body, there are some cases where the abdominal cavity as well as other areas of the body are affected.