There are a number of factors that play into how doctors estimate a prognosis when a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma, but you should keep in mind that any prognosis is a doctor’s best guess.
Your body is unique, and how you respond to mesothelioma treatments may differ dramatically from what your doctors expect. Don’t treat any stated prognosis as a sentence handed down by your doctor. Patients surprise their doctors all the time.
When it comes to determining a prognosis, doctors base their estimates for survival on several key factors about your mesothelioma. Where it is, and how contained it is, can matter a lot.
If the cancer cells are relatively contained, your doctors will likely describe your mesothelioma as early-stage, which usually results in a better prognosis. Early-stage mesothelioma can often be approached surgically, which often provides the best outcome.
When mesothelioma has spread from its original location to involve more body systems, surgery is probably no longer an option, and your doctors will likely describe your mesothelioma as late-stage. In general, the later the stage of diagnosis for any cancer, the more difficult the treatment, and the worse the prognosis tends to be.
Other factors that your doctors will take into consideration are things like your age and overall health status. Statistically, patients who are under 50 at the time of diagnosis are more likely to survive the first year than those who are older.
The important thing for you to remember is that you are not a statistic. You are a person, and your body may respond to therapies much differently than many others.
When you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases in New Orleans, let the attorneys at The Gertler Law Firm see that you and your family are protected as you fight this disease.
Call us today at (504) 527-8767 for a free consultation with an experienced New Orleans mesothelioma attorney.
