Mesothelioma is a fairly new type of cancer that is very serious and life threatening, as with most types of cancer. One thing that makes mesothelioma such a serious condition is that it is usually not found until the late stages of the cancer, causing the survival rate to be low. This is because the symptoms don't usually arise until the late stages.

By this time the patient most likely doesn't have much longer to live. Studies show most patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have a year or less left to live. Along with diagnosis being difficult and delayed, mesothelioma is also fairly uncommon and we are still learning more about the disease.

However, some studies show that one out of every ten mesothelioma patients will live up to three years after diagnosis and one out of every twenty people will live five years after diagnosis.

Studies are performed daily and new clinical trials are helping to increase the survival rate of those with mesothelioma. Survival rates vary depending on where the study is performed, and who is performing the study. In general, studies are very close in comparison.

Survival rates are based on several different factors. Some of these factors are, the size of the tumor, the stage the patient is in, whether the tumor can be completely removed with surgery, the quantity of fluid in the chest and abdomen and how long it took to diagnose the cancer.

Some other interesting facts about mesothelioma survival rates are that the average age of the patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma are sixty one years of age and eighty one percent were male.

As said before, many studies are performed daily to find new ways to prolong the survival rate of those who have mesothelioma. Many studies have already proven to do just that. Lots of studies show that chemotherapy greatly increases the survival rate of those with mesothelioma. So, although this is a newer and less common cancer we are learning more about it daily.

With our learning we'll eventually come up with more options of treatment and this will lead to an all together higher survival rate.