Features of malignant mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma has been described as a 'horrible disease' with 'awful' symptoms and a 'dismal' outlook. These descriptions are fairly accurate. Once diagnosed or even suspected, patients often have a feeling of hopelessness -- with good cause: after diagnosis, patients survive on average from 4-18 months (6-8 months without treatment). In fact, within 12 months of diagnosis, 50% of patients are dead, and few survive beyond 2 years.

Treatment options are limited, often involve aggressive surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, and generally prolong life rather than cure mesothelioma. However, perhaps because of the expected 'epidemic' in cases of mesothelioma expected in the next decade, there has been much research into new therapies (see Treatment options).

Some people with malignant mesothelioma do respond to therapy. Features that are associated with a better survival include:

younger age
good performance status
early disease stage
type of mesothelioma (epithelial, see pathology)
lack of chest pain
normal platelet count (the cells in the blood responsible for clotting)
Malignant mesothelioma is a slow growing cancer that develops gradually over time, decades after first exposure to asbestos. During this time, the patient is usually unaware that he has the disease. By the time symptoms develop, the cancer is often widespread throughout the pleura (or peritoneum) or has directly invaded adjacent organs, such as the lungs, heart and diaphragm.

Pathology (disease features)
Symptoms