If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there are sometimes ways to treat it with chemotherapy or surgery, even if there is currently no cure. Like other types of cancer, there’s no guarantee that these treatments will work, but you may have options. It’s important to find out more about all options to give you the best chance of finding something that helps.

Additionally, it’s wise to consider the fact that the survival rates are getting better. Treatments are becoming more comprehensive and people are living longer lives even after a diagnosis. A lot hinges on when this diagnosis is made, and it’s very important to discover the mesothelioma as soon as possible.

4 main stages

There are four different stages that medical professionals consider when looking at mesothelioma. They then assign a 5-year survival rate to each stage. The stage is calculated during the first diagnosis. The survival rates are as follows:

• In the localized stage, the survival rate is 20%.
• In the regional stage, the survival rate is 16%.
• In the distant stage, the survival rate is 8%.
• When you combine all the stages together, the survival rate is 12%.

Much of the difference just depends on how far the cancer has spread from where it initially developed. As it moves throughout the body, treatment becomes harder and different organs can develop cancer. As such, finding mesothelioma early gives you the best possible chance to get a treatment that could prove life-saving or at least life-prolonging.

This treatment can be very expensive, however, so it’s also important for you and your family to understand all of the legal options at your disposal.