Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
The average mesothelioma life expectancy is 12-21 months after a diagnosis. However, you may be able to outlive the average life expectancy depending on the type of mesothelioma you have, your cancer stage, and the treatments you receive. We can help you find treatments that may improve your life expectancy.
What Is the Life Expectancy of Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma life expectancy refers to the length of time doctors believe a patient will live following a diagnosis. It’s provided as part of a patient’s mesothelioma prognosis (health outlook).
Most mesothelioma patients have a life expectancy of 12-21 months since the cancer is generally diagnosed in later stages when treatment options are limited.
However, your malignant mesothelioma life expectancy could improve with medical care. In fact, some cancer patients have lived for 15 years or more following their mesothelioma diagnosis.
“The misconception is that mesothelioma is a death sentence. It’s not. You’re not guaranteed to die if you have mesothelioma.”
— Dr. Raja Flores, mesothelioma specialist
Connect with our registered nurses who can help you find doctors and cancer treatments so you can live as long as possible with mesothelioma.
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Amy Fair
20+ Years Helping
Mesothelioma Patients
Difference Between Life Expectancy and Survival Rate
Life expectancy and survival rate both influence a patient’s mesothelioma prognosis. Survival rate is the percentage of patients still alive after a set period of time (typically years).
The 5-year mesothelioma survival rate is 12%, given the aggressive nature of this cancer. That said, you could outlive the typical mesothelioma survival rates. Your doctors can give you a better idea of what to expect as your body responds to mesothelioma treatments.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy by Type
The four types of mesothelioma — pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, and testicular — are found in different parts of the body. Some types have a better life expectancy than others.
Learn about mesothelioma life expectancy for each type below.
Pleural Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Pleural mesothelioma is found in the lining of the lungs (pleura) and is the most common type.
The average life expectancy with pleural mesothelioma is between 13.1 and 19.2 months, according to a 2022 review of data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
“Initially they told him he probably had about six months to a year — that was four years ago. He doesn’t look like somebody that’s been fighting cancer for four years.”
— Jan Putt, wife of pleural mesothelioma survivor Art Putt
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) and is the second-most common type of this cancer.
The average life expectancy for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma is 53 months (nearly 4 and a half years) if they receive a treatment called cytoreduction with HIPEC, which combines chemotherapy and surgery.
Pericardial Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Pericardial mesothelioma is found in the lining around the heart (pericardium) and is very rare.
The life expectancy for pericardial mesothelioma is 2-6 months. Many patients are only diagnosed after they’ve died. Treatment could help patients diagnosed early on live longer.
Testicular Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Testicular mesothelioma is the rarest type, making up fewer than 1% of cases.
The average life expectancy for this type is 47 months (almost 4 years) as doctors can often effectively treat it with surgery, chemotherapy, and more.
Call (877) 446-5767 to speak with our registered nurses about treatments that could improve your mesothelioma life expectancy.
Stages of Mesothelioma and Life Expectancy
Each mesothelioma stage has a different life expectancy. Patients usually live longer in lower stages as the cancer hasn’t spread, making it easier to treat.
Only pleural mesothelioma is officially classified into stages. Doctors can informally stage the other types into a “localized” or “advanced” stage at the time of diagnosis. View mesothelioma life expectancy statistics by stage below.
The average life expectancy for stage 1 mesothelioma is 19.2 months when treated with surgery, as noted by the NCDB data review.
At stage 1, mesothelioma tumors are only found in the lining of one lung. This means doctors can treat it, and patients can typically live longer.
According to the NCDB review, average life expectancy for stage 2 mesothelioma is 19.2 months, the same as stage 1.
Stage 2 mesothelioma tumors have started to spread past the pleura and into nearby lymph nodes. That said, oncologists (cancer doctors) can still effectively treat patients with surgery and other options
Stage 3 mesothelioma life expectancy is 18.9 months on average with treatment.
In this stage, cancer cells have spread throughout the pleura and begun to reach other parts of the body. If the cancer hasn’t spread too far, patients may qualify for surgery, which can allow them to live longer.
The fourth and final mesothelioma stage is the hardest to treat since metastasis (distant spread) has occurred. The stage 4 mesothelioma life expectancy is just 13.1 months as a result.
However, you could still achieve long-term survival. John Stahl is still alive today following a stage 4 mesothelioma diagnosis in 2019. In a recent interview, he said, “I’m pretty well back to normal,” thanks to chemotherapy treatments.
Get in touch with our nurses to find treatments that could potentially improve your mesothelioma lifespan at any stage.
- Find Top Doctors and Treatments
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Amy Fair
20+ Years Helping
Mesothelioma Patients
Other Factors Affecting Life Expectancy of Mesothelioma Patients
Beyond the location and stage of mesothelioma tumors, several other factors can influence life expectancy, like a patient’s age, mesothelioma cell type, and sex. View these factors below.
Age
Most mesothelioma patients are over the age of 70 at the time of diagnosis. However, younger patients may live longer since they can safely undergo aggressive treatments in most cases.
Cell Type
There are three mesothelioma cell types: epithelioid (also called epithelial), sarcomatoid, and biphasic. Epithelial cells are the easiest to treat, so these patients may live longer.
Mesothelioma Cell Type Life Expectancy Epithelioid mesothelioma 14 months Sarcomatoid mesothelioma 7 months Biphasic mesothelioma 10 months Sex
Women diagnosed with mesothelioma usually live longer than men. Factors like less exposure to asbestos and hormones such as estrogen may allow women to live longer.
Overall Health
Patients in good health have better life expectancies than those with other health issues besides cancer or a poor lifestyle. Your doctor can tell you about ways to improve your overall health before, during, and after treatments.
For example, hospital oncology (cancer) departments typically have nutritionists to provide dietary guidance to give patients the best shot at living longer.
Improving Mesothelioma Life Expectancy With Treatment
Getting treatment is the most important factor in improving a patient’s mesothelioma life expectancy after diagnosis. Mesothelioma treatments allow doctors to destroy cancer tumors so patients can hopefully live for longer periods of time.
Here’s how treatments affect the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients:
- Chemotherapy: This is the use of cancer-killing drugs to destroy tumors. Pleural mesothelioma patients treated with chemotherapy lived for 14 months on average according to the 2022 NCDB review.
- Immunotherapy: This treatment involves boosting the body’s immune response to cancer. The average mesothelioma life expectancy with this treatment is 15.2 months.
- Radiation therapy: Powerful X-ray beams kill cancer cells. Patients live for 12.2 months on average but could live longer if radiation is used with other treatments.
- Surgery: Pleural mesothelioma surgeries like an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and pleurectomy with decortication (P/D) can help patients live for almost 3 years. The life expectancy of peritoneal mesothelioma patients who receive cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC is 53 months.
- Clinical trials: These test emerging treatments to hopefully find new ways to improve mesothelioma life expectancy. A 2024 JAMA Oncology report found that a drug called pegargiminase helped patients with biphasic or sarcomatoid mesothelioma live for over a month and a half longer compared to those treated with chemotherapy. This is notable as these cell types are difficult to treat.
Many of the best mesothelioma cancer doctors will recommend multimodal treatment plans, which combine multiple therapies for the best results.
Which treatments you receive will depend on the type of mesothelioma you have and other factors affecting your prognosis. To determine the best treatment options, work with skilled mesothelioma oncologists (cancer doctors).
Contact the Lung Cancer Group team for help finding a mesothelioma doctor and cancer center.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Without Treatment
Without treatment, the life expectancy for mesothelioma is very poor since the tumors will continue to grow and spread.
Here are mesothelioma life expectancies without treatment:
- Pleural mesothelioma: 4-12 months
- Peritoneal mesothelioma: 6-12 months
Even if you’re diagnosed with end-stage mesothelioma, treatments could help you live longer and manage pain. Some late-stage patients have outlived an originally poor life expectancy with the right medical care.
“It’s important that people understand that there’s help, and there are people willing to help them.”
— John Stahl, stage 4 mesothelioma survivor
Don’t wait: Speak with our registered nurses now to find treatments that could improve your mesothelioma cancer life expectancy.
- Find Top Doctors and Treatments
- Connect You With Clinical Trials
- Answer Medical Questions
Amy Fair
20+ Years Helping
Mesothelioma Patients
Finding Support to Improve Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
While mesothelioma life expectancy statistics can be scary, you could outlive them and become a long-term survivor.
The Lung Cancer Group team stands ready to support you and your loved ones through each step of your journey with mesothelioma.
Our on-staff mesothelioma nurses can:
- Connect you with top mesothelioma doctors and treatments
- Help explore your financial compensation options after a diagnosis
- Locate support groups and other resources to help your family
Call (877) 446-5767 or speak with a registered nurse now for help finding ways to live longer with mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy FAQs
What is the life expectancy of a person with mesothelioma?
The average life expectancy for someone with mesothelioma is 12-21 months in most cases.
However, each patient is different, and factors like age, overall health, cell type, and cancer stage all affect life expectancy. Some patients have lived for 15+ years with mesothelioma.
Is life expectancy different than survival rate?
Yes. Life expectancy is how long doctors believe a patient will live with mesothelioma. Survival rate is the percentage of patients still living after a specific amount of time (typically years).
Both life expectancy and survival rate are part of a mesothelioma prognosis provided by oncologists (cancer doctors). These statistics are just averages, and you could outlive them.
Is mesothelioma 100% fatal?
No, some mesothelioma patients have lived for 15+ years after their diagnosis. For example, Mary Jane lived for 15 years after being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma and passed away from unrelated causes.
The key to living longer with mesothelioma is to get treatment. Without medical care, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to live for a long time with mesothelioma.
Who is the longest-living person with mesothelioma?
The longest-surviving mesothelioma patients have lived for almost 30 years.
For example, Sissy was diagnosed in 1996 with pleural mesothelioma. She was originally given just 6 months to live, but thanks to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, she is still alive today.
There are a number of other mesothelioma patients who have lived more than 15 years after their diagnosis, too.
How long can you live with untreated mesothelioma?
Without treatment, you have a very poor mesothelioma life expectancy as the cancer will spread through your body. Most patients only live 1 year or less with untreated mesothelioma.
If detected in an early stage, can mesothelioma be cured?
There is no official cure for mesothelioma right now. However, doctors use treatments to improve life expectancy and remove as much of the cancer as possible.
It is possible for some patients to enter remission, which means the cancer is no longer spreading. Patients typically experience little to no symptoms when they’re in remission.
