As with any disease or health condition, mesothelioma researchers have, over time, collected statistical information about mesothelioma. These statistics can help us learn about the proclivities of the disease and its incidence and potentially help future patients as we learn more about mesothelioma. How Common is Mesothelioma?
New cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in between 2,500 and 3,000 Americans each year. These numbers, while significant, would indicate that mesothelioma is still a relatively rare disease, though incidence is expected to rise in the next decade according to projections.
What is the Typical Age at Diagnosis?
The first diagnosis of mesothelioma typically occurs in men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Mesothelioma patients, certainly, have been diagnosed at ages younger than 50 and older than 70, but diagnoses for those age groups are considered statistical anomalies.
Does Mesothelioma Occur in a Particular Sex or Racial Demographic More than Another?
Mesothelioma is much more common in men than women, due mostly to occupationalasbestos exposure being more common among men of industrial labor sites. That is not to say, however, that women cannot be diagnosed with mesothelioma. In fact, recent evidence suggests that mesothelioma incidence in women may rise in the coming years as secondary exposures to asbestos can manifest in the form of a positive mesothelioma diagnosis. Also of note is that mesothelioma is much less common among African Americans than in Caucasians, the reasons for which researchers are still investigating.
What are Typical Patient Survival Rates Following a Mesothelioma Diagnosis?
As mesothelioma is often diagnosed in its advanced stages, the mesothelioma prognosis is sometimes poor with life expectancy being little more than a year following diagnosis. If diagnosed early enough however, patient prognoses increase dramatically. Patient survival rates are often contingent on the treatments available to the particular patient. In earlymesothelioma stages, tumors eligible for mesothelioma surgery and will result in improved prognoses over those who are diagnosed with stage 3 mesothelioma or stage 4 mesothelioma. As new and alternative mesothelioma treatments are researched and employed in the future, it is realistic to anticipate an improvement in patient survival rates.
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