Prognosis of Epithelial Mesothelioma
Statistics indicate that about 3000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed every year in the United States alone. After being diagnosed with mesothelioma, the next step is to discuss the prognosis or likely outcome of the disease. Epithelioid mesothelioma is considered to be the most common form of mesothelioma. It affects the mesothelium surrounding certain organs of the body. This form of mesothelioma is found in about 60% of the cases.
Prognosis of Epitheloid Mesothelioma
Based on the location and the stage of the mesothelioma, the treatment is provided to the patients. It is easier to diagnose malignant epithelioid mesothelioma than biphasic mesothelioma or sarcomatoid mesothelioma. Prognosis for patients with epithelioid mesothelioma is not very encouraging. The average survival time after diagnosis is approximately six months.
Usually mesothelioma is diagnosed when the patient is in the advanced stage as its latency period is about 20 to 30 years after the asbestos exposure. The symptoms are commonly visible only at the later stages of the disease. Also, in the case of epithelial mesothelioma, the symptoms are usually misinterpreted to other common diseases and can aggravate the problem further. Owing to this, prognosis for this form of mesothelioma is quite poor and treatment options like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are at times not very useful.
Factors that determine the prognosis
There are many factors which influence the prognosis of epithelial mesothelioma;
- The stage of the cancer – Epithelial mesothelioma is divided into four stages and the fourth stage is the most advanced form. The treatment options reduces and become less effective with the increase in the stages and in Stage 4, the cancer is likely to spread to other distant parts of the body. Surgery is also not advisable in this stage.
- Histological type of cancer – in the case of epithelial mesothelioma, there is better prognosis than the other types of mesothelioma.
- Age and general health of the patient – owing to the latency period of this cancer it is usually diagnosed after the age of 55 years. Due to the old age, patients also have other related diseases to deal with like diabetes, hypertension which affects prognosis as well.
- The size and location of the tumor and whether it can be operated or not.
- Other symptoms like accumulation of fluid in the lungs or abdomen.
As epithelial malignant mesothelioma can affect different areas of the body; the symptoms are also varied and usually affect the lungs like:
- Breathlessness
- Persistent cough
- Pain in the chest
- Fatigue and weakness
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Symptoms similar to viral pneumonia
Treatment of Epithelioid Mesothelioma
The treatment options for epithelioid mesothelioma comprises of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy. Even with these options chosen, the average survival duration is not beyond 1 year. The treatment however is dependent on the stage of the mesothelioma along with overall health and age of the patient. The cancer also responds differently based on the treatment administrated and depending on its stage, aggressive treatment can be given. Therefore, patients diagnosed with malignant epithelioid mesothelioma have a better prognosis than those suffering from sarcomatoid mesothelioma.
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