Pleural Mesothelioma Stages

Pleural Mesothelioma Stages - People often confuse the terms “prognosis” and “diagnosis.” A prognosis is the likely outcome of a disease — like a forecast of how the disease will affect a person. A diagnosis is the medical classification of which disease a person has. A pleural mesothelioma prognosis is usually not favorable, but it varies depending on the stage of the cancer and many other factors.

Some of these factors, such as the cancer’s stage, cell type, your age and gender, are beyond your control. However, you do have some control in modifying other factors to positively influence your prognosis. Many patients have lived well past their initial life expectancies by electing treatment, improving their overall health and following the advice of knowledgeable specialists.

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Medical professionals regularly use these three related terms to discuss prognosis. Although they are similar, they are not interchangeable.

Prognosis

A prognosis is a prediction made by a qualified physician of the likely result of your cancer. Doctors base your cancer prognosis on statistics gathered from others with your type of cancer and stage of disease. However, it is only an assessment. Many people have outlived their initial prognoses, and you might be able to improve yours, too, by discussing it with your doctor or our Patient Advocates.

Asbestos Mesothelioma Life Expectancy

Life expectancy is the estimated amount of time someone will live after a diagnosis. A median life expectancy means half of patients are expected to live longer and half are expected to live shorter.

Median Life Expectancy by Stage for Pleural Mesothelioma Patients:

Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Stages

What stages are

The stage of a cancer tells the doctor where it is, how big it is and whether it has spread. The tests and scans you have when diagnosing your cancer give some information about the stage. Knowing the stage helps your doctor decide about the treatment you need.

Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have an advanced stage of cancer.

The staging used for mesothelioma in the chest (pleural mesothelioma) is different to the staging for mesothelioma in the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma).

Staging describes or classifies a cancer based on how much cancer there is in the body and where it is when first diagnosed. This is often called the extent of cancer. Information from tests is used to find out the size of the tumour, which parts of the organ have cancer, whether the cancer has spread from where it first started and where the cancer has spread. Your healthcare team uses the stage to plan treatment and estimate the outcome (your prognosis).

Pleural mesothelioma starts in the lining (membrane) that protects and cushions the lungs (called the pleura). The most common staging system for pleural mesothelioma is the TNM system. For this type of cancer, there are 4 stages. Often the stages 1 to 4 are written as the Roman numerals I, II, III and IV. Generally, the higher the stage number, the more the cancer has spread. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about staging.

Only pleural mesothelioma is staged using the TNM system. There is no staging system for mesothelioma of the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma) or for rare types of mesothelioma. Find out more about staging cancer.

Stage 1A Mesothelioma

Cancer is in the lining of the chest wall (parietal pleura) or the lining covering the lung (visceral pleura) on the same side of the chest as the tumour.

Stage 1B Mesothelioma

Cancer is in the parietal or visceral pleura on the same side of the chest as the tumour. It has also spread to at least one of the following:

the diaphragm
the tissues of the lung

Cancer is in the parietal or visceral pleura on the same side of the chest as the tumour. It has grown into at least one of the following:

the connective tissue (fascia) that makes up part of the chest wall
the fat in the space between the lungs
the soft tissues of the chest wall (but only one area)
the lining of the heart (the pericardium) but not all of the way through it

Stage 2 Mesothelioma

Cancer is in the lining of the chest wall or the lining covering the lung on the same side of the chest as the tumour. It may have also grown into at least one of the following:

the diaphragm

the tissues of the lung

Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes within the chest on the same side of the body as the tumour.

Stage 3A Mesothelioma

Cancer is in the parietal or visceral pleura on the same side of the chest as the tumour. It has grown into at least one of the following:

the connective tissue that makes up part of the chest wall
the fat in the space between the lungs
the soft tissues of the chest wall (but only one area)
the lining of the heart but not all of the way through it
Cancer has also spread to the lymph nodes within the chest on the same side of the body as the tumour.

Stage 3B Mesothelioma

Cancer is in the lining of the chest wall or the lining covering the lung on the same side of the chest as the tumour. It may have also grown into at least one of the following:

the diaphragm
the tissues of the lung
the connective tissue that makes up part of the chest wall
the fat in the space between the lungs
the soft tissues of the chest wall (but only one area)
the lining of the heart but not all of the way through it
Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes on the other side of the chest from the tumour.

Cancer is found in the parietal or visceral pleura on the same side of the chest as the tumour. It has also grown into at least one of the following:

the chest wall and may have grown into the ribs
the peritoneum
the parietal or visceral pleura on the other side of the chest
the esophagus, windpipe (trachea), heart or large blood vessels in the space between the lungs (mediastinum)
the bones of the spine (vertebrae)
the spinal cord
through the lining of the heart

Stage 4 Mesothelioma

The cancer has spread to other parts of the body (called distant metastasis), such as to the lung on the other side of the body, liver or bones. This is also called metastatic pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Stage 4 is about 12 months. In most cases, the cancer will continue to spread, resulting in respiratory or heart failure.

Recurrent mesothelioma

Recurrent mesothelioma means that the cancer has come back after it has been treated. It can come back in the part of the body where mesothelioma starts, including the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium or the lining that covers the testicles (tunica vaginalis). If it comes back in the same place, it’s called local recurrence. If it comes back in tissues or lymph nodes close to where it first started, it’s called regional recurrence. It can also recur in another part of the body. This is called distant metastasis or distant recurrence.

Mesothelioma Survival Rate

Survival rate refers to the percentage of people who survive for a certain period of time after a diagnosis. These rates are usually measured in 1- and 5-year increments. For example, the 1-year survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is approximately 38 percent, meaning more than one-third of patients live one year or longer after their diagnosis. Pleural Mesothelioma Stages.

Pleural Mesothelioma Patient Survival Rates

Source :
- https://www.pleuralmesothelioma.com/

Pleural Mesothelioma Stages