Mesothelioma Cancer Facts
There is no cure for Malignant Mesothelioma.
The median age for a malignant Mesothelioma patient is 73.
The rate of Malignant Mesothelioma is four times higher in men than women.
Mesothelioma primarily occurs in patients between the ages of 55-75.
Men over the age of 55 are the highest group of people who develop Mesothelioma.
The three main treatments for Mesothelioma are surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Over 20 million people in the U. S. are at risk of developing malignant Mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.
Malignant Mesothelioma is often initially diagnosed as a more common ailment like the flu or pneumonia.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers the body’s internal organs.
If Mesothelioma is diagnosed early and treated aggressively, a patient can live between 2 and five years.
Cancer studies show that only 10% of people diagnosed with Mesothelioma are still alive five years after diagnosis.
The first case of Malignant Mesothelioma was linked to asbestos exposure in 1964.
A majority of patients do not discover they have Mesothelioma until they are seeing a doctor for other symptoms to common everyday ailments.
3 out of 4 Mesothelioma cases are men over the age of 65, according to the American Cancer Society.
According to one study, the vast majority of Mesothelioma patients pass away about 10 to 11 months after diagnosis.
The number of Mesothelioma cases is expected to peak worldwide in the year 2020.
Mesothelioma is more common in Whites and Hispanics than in African Americans or Asian Americans.
There have been over 175 clinical trials conducted related to Mesothelioma through 2011.
Eleven million people were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1978, according to The National Institute of Health (NIH).
There were 17,191 deaths of White Americans, 710 deaths of African Americans, and 182 deaths of all other races during 1999-2005.
15 to 30 people out of every 1 million will be affected by Mesothelioma annually.
50% of Mesothelioma patients will have a life span of 8 to 18 months after treatment.
30% of Mesothelioma patients have a chance of living five years or longer.
75% of malignant Mesothelioma cases develop in the pleura.
10% to 20% malignant Mesothelioma cases develop in the abdomen.
Malignant Mesothelioma is diagnosed in 1-4 stages with higher stage numbers signifying more advanced cases.
Doctors recommend that Mesothelioma patients have an intake of 50% more protein and 25% more calories during chemotherapy treatment.
Studies show that once diagnosed; the average Mesothelioma patient will survive 10 to 11 months.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are testing the use of the common cold virus to develop targeted treatments for people with early-stage malignant Mesothelioma.
More than 8 million people in the U. S. have been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos. Today, asbestos continues to be a threat to workers in many occupations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that during the years, 1994-2008 more than 92,000 people died from Mesothelioma in 83 countries.
Asbestos manufacturers knew of the long term dangers of asbestos exposure but chose to ignore or downplay the role asbestos played in many reported illnesses.
The first reported Mesothelioma death in 1924 directly linked to asbestos exposure was documented in medical journals.
More than 10,000 people in the U. S. have a Mesothelioma and another asbestos-related diagnosis each year.
More than 110,000 schools in the United States still contain some form of toxic asbestos.
Malignant Mesothelioma cases can settle on an average between $700,000 and $8 million depending on how many defendants are linked to asbestos-containing products.
More than 700,000 asbestos victims have filed lawsuits against more than 6,000 Asbestos companies in U. S. Courts.
70% to 80% of people who develop Mesothelioma have worked on job sites where they inhaled or digested asbestos particles.
A recent study of insulation workers exposed to asbestos showed a Mesothelioma death rate that is 344 times higher than the general population.
Malignant Mesothelioma is usually far advanced at a diagnosis, with victims living 12-18 months after.
Many countries have banned some forms of asbestos, and there are more than 5,000 products that still contain asbestos.
More than 1.3 million U. S. construction workers are exposed to asbestos each year.
Malignant Mesothelioma is a rare cancer arising from mesothelial cells lining the pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial cavities.
Malignant Mesothelioma death rates are estimated to increase by 5-10% per year until 2020 in most industrialized countries.
It is estimated that there will be about 250,000 cases of malignant Mesothelioma before 2020.
There are 2500-3000 new cases of malignant Mesothelioma diagnosed each year in the United. States.
1 in 3 American Veterans are diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer in their lifetime.
More than 30 million tons of toxic asbestos was used in U. S. during the 20th century.
1 in 125 U. S. males will die of malignant Mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease that live over the age of fifty.
75 % of malignant Mesothelioma cases are located in the pleura, the protective sac around the lungs.
15% of malignant Mesothelioma cases are located in the peritoneum, the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is the second most common form of Mesothelioma that is located in the peritoneum, the sac surrounding the organs in the abdomen.
Studies have shown that a high percentage of Mesothelioma cases among women and children were caused by secondary hand asbestos exposure. (Paraoccupational exposure)
There were 2,482 reported deaths from malignant Mesothelioma in the U. S. in 1999.
There were 2,704 reported deaths from malignant Mesothelioma in the U. S. in 2005.
There were 2,3,21 reported deaths from malignant Mesothelioma in the U. S. in 2005.
Malignant Mesothelioma symptoms can take anywhere from 20 to 40 years to develop following exposure to asbestos.
The average male has a 1 in 12 chance of getting asbestos lung cancer during his lifetime.
The average woman has a 1 in 16 chance of getting asbestos lung cancer during her lifetime.
People exposed to asbestos are seven times more likely to die of Asbestos Lung Cancer than people in the general population.
Studies have shown that there is a relationship between the amount of asbestos exposure and the amount of cigarette smoking.
Over 27 million people in the U. S. are at risk of developing malignant Mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.
Asbestos manufacturers knew of the long term dangers of asbestos exposure but chose to ignore or downplay the role asbestos played in many reported illnesses.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are testing the use of the common cold virus to develop targeted treatments for people with early-stage malignant Mesothelioma.