Though a mesothelioma diagnosis is always considered terminal, there are mitigating factors that have an enormous impact on how long individual patients survive. As researchers continue to seek greater understanding of this mysterious and challenging disease, it has become increasingly clear that one of the most important determinants of prognosis is what subtype of the disease a patient has, with epithelioid mesothelioma providing the longest survival potential.
Danish Researchers Explore Epithelioid Mesothelioma Outcomes
A group of researchers from the Department of Respiratory Disease at the Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark studied the impact of subtype on malignant mesothelioma outcomes. They found that patients with the epithelioid subtype have longer survival time regardless of the treatment approach that is taken.
Not every mesothelioma patient is eligible for surgical treatment or protocols meant to be curative. For some, a palliative approach that eases pain and improves quality of life is the best answer. The researchers found that even in cases where aggressive approaches are not taken, patients diagnosed with the epithelioid subtype lived longer than those with the sarcomatoid or biphasic type.
Study Finds Epithelioid Subtype is a “Positive Prognostic Factor”
The group identified 279 mesothelioma patients treated in Denmark between 1972 and 2015. They confirmed the patients’ subtypes and studied the treatments each received and other factors. Of all the factors they studied, they found that having the epithelioid subtype had the greatest impact on survival.
Writing of their findings, Dr. Thomas Ringgaard Peterson wrote, “This retrospective study showed that epithelioid subtype is the only independent positive prognostic factor of survival in treated patients with MPM.” The group concluded that their findings would assist doctors treating mesothelioma patients as they determine the best approach for each.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, it is important that you work with physicians who are aware of all the latest research. For assistance in getting state-of-the-art treatment, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
