Most mesothelioma patients have an average life expectancy of 4-18 months, according to Penn Medicine. That said, some mesothelioma patients can live for 20 years or more. Learn how to improve your malignant mesothelioma life expectancy.
Get advice on treatment and improving life expectancy with a Free Veterans Packet.
What Is the Life Expectancy With Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma life expectancy is the projected length of time a patient will survive following their cancer diagnosis.
A patient’s life expectancy is part of their mesothelioma prognosis (health outlook).
Key life span figures for common types of mesothelioma include:
- Pleural mesothelioma patients live 12-21 months on average with treatment, depending on how far the cancer has spread by the time they’re diagnosed.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma patients who get treatment live for 53 months on average, according to a report from The Annals of Translational Medicine.
Many veterans and civilians with mesothelioma have outlived their life expectancies by months and even years, becoming long-term survivors after undergoing treatment.
Get a Free Veterans Packet now to see how you may be able to improve your mesothelioma prognosis and life expectancy.
5 Factors Affecting Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Mesothelioma life expectancy can vary based on when a patient was diagnosed, their overall health, and other important factors.
Learn more about the key factors that impact life expectancy for mesothelioma below.
1. Mesothelioma Treatments
Aggressive treatment to destroy and remove cancer tumors is the best way to improve your mesothelioma life span. Without treatment, mesothelioma is usually fatal within months.
Treatment options for mesothelioma may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and more.
2. Mesothelioma Type
There are four types of mesothelioma, depending on where the cancer tumors form in your body. Which type you have can impact your life expectancy, as some are easier to treat than others.
| Mesothelioma Type | Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Pleural mesothelioma | 12-21 months |
| Peritoneal mesothelioma | 53 months |
| Pericardial mesothelioma | 2.5-6 months |
| Testicular mesothelioma | 46 months |
Sources: Modern Pathology, Environmental Health, Cancer Management and Research, Frontiers in Oncology
Doctors have more effective treatment options available for patients with peritoneal and testicular mesothelioma, which is why these types have the best life expectancies.
3. Mesothelioma Stage
Stages of mesothelioma and life expectancy go hand in hand. Pleural mesothelioma patients in stages 1 or 2 have the longest life expectancies as the cancer hasn’t spread far, making it easier to treat.
Once the cancer has reached stage 3 or 4, it has spread to distant areas of the body due to metastasis, so it’s harder to treat. This lowers your projected mesothelioma life span.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Stage
| Stage | Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Mesothelioma life expectancy stage 1 | 19.2 months |
| Stage 2 mesothelioma life expectancy | 19.2 months |
| Stage 3 mesothelioma life expectancy | 18.9 months |
| Mesothelioma stage 4 life expectancy | 13.1 months |
Source: National Cancer Database
Pleural mesothelioma is the only type of this cancer classified by stages. However, doctors can see how far other mesothelioma types have spread and determine whether a patient is eligible to receive life-extending therapies.
4. Cell Type
There are three main mesothelioma cell types. Cell type affects mesothelioma life expectancy because some are easier to treat than others.
| Cell Type | Mesothelioma Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Epithelioid mesothelioma life expectancy | 14 months |
| Sarcomatoid mesothelioma life expectancy | 4 months |
| Biphasic mesothelioma life expectancy | 10 months |
Source: Tumori Journal, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank
Doctors can determine which cell type you have and how it may affect your mesothelioma cancer life expectancy when making a diagnosis.
5. Age, Overall Health, Nutrition & More
These other factors can greatly impact a patient’s mesothelioma life expectancy.
Here’s what to know about:
- Age: Younger patients may be stronger and have a lower risk of treatment complications, so they have longer average mesothelioma life spans.
- Gender: Women tend to have slightly better mesothelioma life expectancies.
- Overall health: Mesothelioma patients in good health tend to live longer since they may qualify for more treatments and have fewer side effects.
- Nutrition: Maintaining a good nutrition plan before, during, and after treatment may improve a patient’s overall health and survival.
A cancer doctor can help determine how these factors may affect your mesothelioma life span.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy With Treatment
Doctors can use many different mesothelioma treatments to help patients live as long as possible.
Learn more about these treatment options and their potential impact on mesothelioma life expectancies.
Surgery
Surgery is arguably the best treatment for improving mesothelioma life expectancy. Mesothelioma surgeries allow doctors to remove all visible cancer tumors.
Surgeries used to help patients live longer include:
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP): Used to treat pleural mesothelioma by removing the lung nearest to the cancer and all visible tumors. The average mesothelioma life span with an EPP is 26.8 months, according to a 2022 Translational Lung Cancer Research report.
- Pleurectomy with decortication (P/D): This is also used to treat pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma doctors remove the cancer but leave both lungs intact. Patients live for 34 months on average, as noted by a 2021 Journal of Thoracic Disease study.
- Cytoreduction with HIPEC: This is a combination of surgery and chemotherapy used to treat peritoneal mesothelioma. The median life expectancy for patients who get this treatment is 53 months.
Mesothelioma specialists can determine which surgery (if any) will work best for you when developing your treatment plan.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy medications kill cancer cells. Pleural mesothelioma patients lived for 15.8 months when treated with chemotherapy, a 2022 Translational Lung Cancer Research study notes. Patients may live longer when chemotherapy is used along with other treatments.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy allows the body to better detect and kill cancer. Immunotherapy can help pleural mesothelioma patients live for 18 months on average, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Radiation
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to shrink cancer tumors. Radiation is typically used alongside surgery. In a recent study, radiation helped late-stage pleural mesothelioma patients who had surgery live for 19 months longer on average.
Tumor Treatment Fields (TTFs)
use electrically charged pads to prevent cancer from spreading. Pleural mesothelioma patients who used TTFs alongside chemotherapy had an average survival time of 18.2 months.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials test new treatments that may help improve mesothelioma life expectancy. Both immunotherapy and TTFs were approved for wider use after clinical trials showed they could help patients live longer.
Use our Free Doctor Match to find a specialist to help improve your mesothelioma life expectancy with treatment.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Without Treatment
In some cases, mesothelioma patients may not qualify for treatment. These patients often have lower life expectancies.
Here are key statistics about mesothelioma life expectancy without treatment:
- Mesothelioma patients live for an average of 4-12 months without treatment.
- Pleural mesothelioma patients typically live just 12 months if they receive palliative care (which eases pain but does not treat the cancer).
- Peritoneal mesothelioma patients who don’t get life-extending treatments live 6-12 months, as noted in a 2020 Translational Lung Cancer Research study.
It’s important to consider life-extending mesothelioma cancer treatments if you qualify for them. A doctor can help you make key decisions involving your health.
Get help finding doctors who can recommend treatments to improve your mesothelioma life span. Call (877) 450-8973 right now to get started.
Life Expectancy by Type of Mesothelioma
There are several types of mesothelioma depending on where the tumors first form. Some types of mesothelioma are easier to treat than others, which can impact life expectancy.
Pleural Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type and forms in the lining of the lungs (pleura).
The average life expectancy with pleural mesothelioma is 12-21 months. Being diagnosed in an early stage and getting aggressive treatments can all help patients live longer.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common type of mesothelioma and develops in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). It’s the easiest type to treat, so patients have a higher life expectancy.
The median life span for peritoneal mesothelioma is 53 months (over 4 years), with some patients becoming long-term survivors.
Pericardial Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Pericardial mesothelioma forms in the heart lining, spreads quickly, and is difficult to treat. The average life expectancy for pericardial mesothelioma is 2.5-6 months, according to a 2023 Modern Pathology report.
Testicular Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Testicular mesothelioma patients have fairly good life expectancies if they get treatment. Patients with testicular mesothelioma have a life expectancy of over 46 months, according to a 2019 Environmental Health report.
Improving Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Many factors affect the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients, some of which are out of their control.
However, there are ways patients can improve their quality of life and their body’s ability to fight cancer.
At the Mesothelioma Veterans Center, we can help you:
- Find top doctors and treatment options that may allow you to live longer
- Explore financial compensation options so you can afford treatment
- Pursue VA health care benefits, allowing you to get care at little to no cost
Call (877) 450-8973 now or use our Free Doctor Match to explore all the ways we may be able to assist you.
Mesothelioma Life Span FAQs
What is the life expectancy of someone with mesothelioma?
The average life expectancy of someone with mesothelioma is 4-18 months, according to Penn Medicine. However, how long you’ll live depends on the unique factors in your case.
Some mesothelioma patients have lived for decades with this cancer, with the longest celebrating more than 20 years of survivorship.
“You can’t change it. Make the best of it as you can,” says Art Putt, a U.S. veteran and mesothelioma survivor. “Get as close to your family and friends as you can.”
How fast does mesothelioma grow?
Mesothelioma grows and spreads quickly. It can potentially become fatal in months without treatment.
However, doctors can recommend treatments to help improve your mesothelioma life span after a diagnosis. With prompt medical care, you could potentially live much longer.
Contact us now for help finding top doctors and mesothelioma treatments.
How long do you live with stage 4 mesothelioma?
Stage 4 mesothelioma patients live for 13.1 months on average when treated with surgery, according to 2022 figures from the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
However, it could be possible to outlive the average life expectancy for stage 4 mesothelioma. For example, stage 4 patient John Stahl is still alive today after his diagnosis in 2019.
“I’m doing very well, as a matter of fact,” John says. “I play golf twice a week. I ride the side-by-side. I go hang out with my friends when they’re around. I’m pretty well back to normal.”
Is mesothelioma 100% fatal?
Mesothelioma is not 100% fatal. You may be able to outlive average life expectancy projections and become a long-term survivor.
For example, U.S. Army and Air Force veteran Art Putt was given less than 1 year to live after his pleural mesothelioma diagnosis in 2018, but he’s still living today.
Is life expectancy the same thing as survival rate?
No. Mesothelioma life expectancy is the expected survival time of a cancer patient. Survival rate is the percentage of patients still living after a certain amount of time.
Life expectancy is usually measured in months, while mesothelioma survival rates are given in percentages. The overall 5-year mesothelioma survival rate is 12%.
How can I live longer with mesothelioma?
You can live longer with mesothelioma by getting treatments to slow the cancer and remove tumors.
Outside of getting treatment, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising may also play a role in helping you live longer with this cancer.
Use our Free Doctor Match for help finding specialists who can recommend tips on improving your mesothelioma life span.
