Mesothelioma is a very serious form of cancer that attacks the lining of some major organs such as the lungs (pleural mesothelioma) and the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneal mesothelioma). Mesothelioma is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers, typically in the workplace, and this type of cancer can lie dormant for as long as 40 years. Many people may have the disease for many years before having it diagnosed.
Mesothelioma Survival Rates
Currently, the most often quoted average survival period for a patient diagnosed with mesothelioma is only about one year. That is an average, however, and opinions among mesothelioma researchers vary based on their own observations and experience. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) cites a survival rate of sixteen months after diagnosis for patients with pleural mesothelioma who have been treated surgically, and a survival period of five months for those with an advanced stage of the disease that does not allow for surgical intervention.
One of the critical issues with a mesothelioma diagnosis is the question of whether or not the disease has been caught early enough that surgery is an option. Most mesothelioma diagnoses don’t meet this standard, but for those that do there is the possibility of slowing the disease substantially.
Currently, pleural mesothelioma is the only form of the disease for which a formal staging protocol has been developed, but as oncologists and surgeons have developed experience with the disease, they have gotten more aggressive about abdominal surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma. Staging means determining which stage the disease has progressed to, and is critical to deciding treatment options.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and feel you may have a valid legal claim, please contact the Baltimore mesothelioma attorneys at Brown | Kiely, LLP today to schedule a consultation at no cost to you.
