In spite of constant research, remarkable discoveries, and high hopes, survival outcomes for those diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma have remained steady for the last thirty years. That’s the conclusion of a retrospective study conducted by oncology researchers at Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre in Canada.
Canadian Researchers Assess Mesothelioma Survival Over Past Three Decades
Many researchers and physicians have dedicated their lives and resources to finding a cure for malignant pleural mesothelioma, or at the least extending patient survival. Treatment protocols for the rare, asbestos-related disease generally include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Immunotherapy has recently been added to the mix of FDA-approved therapies for mesothelioma, and clinical trials are constantly assessing new combinations of these protocols, as well as targeted gene therapies. These attempts have brought some change for mesothelioma patients, including improvements in quality of life. But in terms of prognosis, the advances have been incremental, with patient survival expanding by a matter of weeks or months rather than years.
Study Reveals Mesothelioma Survival Trends
The Canadian researchers had good reason to seek positive news on mesothelioma outcomes: the country has a high rate of the disease. They set out to identify changes in mesothelioma survival and experience over the last thirty years, comparing survival for patients treated from 1991 to 1999, 2000 to 2009, and 2010 to 2019. They found that the median age of diagnosis went up from 65.8 to 75 and that the proportion of females diagnosed with the disease increased as time went by. Crucially, they also found that the median time of survival from time of diagnosis only increased from 9 months in the first decade to 10.1 months.
Writing on their findings, medical oncologist Abdullah Nasser said, “Despite the small incremental improvements in survival shown by the three interventions we examined, prognosis remains guarded for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Better modalities of management are needed.”
If you have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, it is important that you have access to innovative medical treatment and resources. For information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608
