In 2006, the five-year survival rate for mesothelioma was estimated at around 10 percent.

In 2006, the five-year survival rate for mesothelioma was estimated at around 10 percent. Typically the most important variable determining the prognosis and life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient is the stage of the cancer when it is diagnosed. Since mesothelioma is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, the statistics for five year survival for early stage mesothelioma are usually unreliable.

Cell type plays a role in a mesothelioma prognosis analysis. The two types of cells that develop into mesothelioma cancers are epithelioid cells and sarcomatoid cells. Prognosis Factors. One of the critical issues with a mesothelioma diagnosis is the question of whether or not the disease has been caught early enough that surgery is an option. Most mesothelioma diagnoses don't meet this standard. Because its symptoms are vague and its onset can be slow, mesothelioma carries a poor prognosis, with a median survival time of only 6 to 18 months. Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM), the more rare type that begins in the abdomen, has overall survival rates averaging one year.