Mesothelioma Prognosis: Exceptions to the Statistics

As we said above, the statistical prognosis of mesothelioma is generally not in the patient’s favor. Seen only as a set of numbers, many people are understandably disheartened when they learn about their diagnosis. However, notable exceptions to these statistics do exist. Among the most famous of these exceptions was Dr. Stephen J. Gould of Harvard University. Dr. Gould was an internationally respected paleontologist and evolutionary biologist who conducted important research in both of these fields. Dr. Gould was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1982. After an initial period of depression, motivated by all of the negative statistics he read regarding his diagnosis, he became determined to not let the statistics regarding life expectancy rob him of all hope. When he died in 2002, it was from another form of cancer, totally unrelated to his mesothelioma. Dr. Gould has written about his experience with peritoneal mesothelioma and his determination to not let simple statistics dictate his reaction to his diagnosis in the essay, “The Median Isn’t the Message.” We recommend Dr. Gould’s essay for everyone who has been diagnosed with this disease, or with any other form of cancer.

Dr. Gould’s experience certainly may not be standard, but his hopeful approach to his disease cannot be discounted.