How to Improve Your Prognosis
Understanding what encompasses a prognosis can help patients make healthcare decisions that improve their life expectancy. The most important decision a patient can make is to take advantage of factors within their control.
Treatment Options
Mesothelioma research has come a long way in the past decade, creating more treatment options than ever before. Surgery is the most curative treatment option available in prolonging a patient’s life. Pleural patients treated with surgery and radiation can beat their prognosis by over 28 months, according to a study published in 2015. Peritoneal patients treated with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) often outlive their prognosis by 24 months to 7 years. Patients not eligible for surgery can take advantage of traditional cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, or gain access to exclusive treatments in clinical trials. If you are a veteran with mesothelioma, there are also VA benefits and compensation to help you get the best treatment possible.
Specialists
Choosing a specialist is one of the most important factors that influence prognosis. It’s also a factor over which the patient has complete control. Specialists also have years of experience treating mesothelioma and conducting research for new treatments, adding to the quality of treatment. Finding the right mesothelioma specialist for your diagnosis is essential to living longer. There are doctors who specialize in mesothelioma in several parts of the country who can improve your prognosis.
Personal Health
The healthier a patient is when cancer strikes, the better the body will be able to defend itself. A healthy immune system is able to manage treatments like chemotherapy and fight off diseases that could complicate recovery. Patients can actively work to improve and maintain their personal health through diet and exercise. Continuing to make healthy choices after a diagnosis can make a significant impact on the patient’s life expectancy.
Second Opinions
Second opinions are also extremely important after receiving a diagnosis. Survivor Alexis Kidd learned her mesothelioma wasn’t as advanced as she thought after getting a second opinion. Getting a second opinion can often mean gaining access to treatment that wasn’t previously available. Some doctors may not offer certain treatments if they think the risks outweigh the benefits. However, some patients have received treatments that saved their life thanks to a second opinion.
Take Action to Improve Your Prognosis
Patients with mesothelioma have a limited amount of time to take meaningful action against their diagnosis. Since mesothelioma can spread quickly, patients should learn what treatment options are available to them. Only a mesothelioma specialist can provide patients with most beneficial treatment. Specialists are also an essential tool for those who haven’t had a second opinion. Get connected with a specialist using our free Doctor Match program and take control of your prognosis.
Factors that may influence a mesothelioma prognosis are the stage, type, location and treatment of the disease. Patients can take action to improve their prognosis.
Can I Improve My Prognosis?
Mesothelioma patients typically have a prognosis of 12 to 21 months depending on the stage of their disease. However, there are numerous survivors that have far outlived their prognosis. These survivors have taken advantage of aggressive treatments and clinical trials to conquer their disease.
Improving Mesothelioma Prognosis
Pleural Mesothelioma
The average prognosis for a person with late stage pleural mesothelioma is 10 to 12 months. Patients treated with surgery and radiation can beat their prognosis by over 28 months, according to a study published in 2015.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
The prognosis for peritoneal mesothelioma has jumped up incredibly in the past decade. Patients treated with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) often outlive their prognosis by 24 months to 7 years.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Due to its rarity, the prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma is relatively poor. Patients may be able to outlive their prognosis by finding a specialist and seeking aggressive treatment.
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