Mesothelioma is not generally diagnosed until the disease is its latest stages of the development. This is primarily because of the long latency period that is associated with the disease. In many cases, mesothelioma symptoms do not even appear until several decades after the initial asbestos exposure has occurred. As a result, the prognosis for the majority of patients is poor. Once a cancer has reached Stage III or IV, treatment options not only become more limited but less effective as well.
Malignant mesothelioma is typically diagnosed in individuals over 55 years old, though there are certainly exceptions. Because of this, some patients who are diagnosed already have multiple medical problems caused by advancing age, making treatment even more difficult and increasing the mortality rate among mesothelioma patients.
In addition to the stage of the cancer at diagnosis and the age of the patient, other factors that affect prognosis include:
- The type of mesothelioma – pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial
- The size of the tumor
- The location of the tumor and whether it can be surgically removed
- The extent of other symptoms, including fluid in the lungs or abdomen
- Whether or not the patient is a smoker
No comments:
Post a Comment