What Is the Average Mesothelioma Prognosis?
The average prognosis for mesothelioma cancer is 12-21 months with treatment. The typical mesothelioma prognosis without treatment is 4-12 months.
However, every patient’s life expectancy is different. Some of the patients we’ve helped have become 20+ year survivors despite initially receiving a poor prognosis.
A mesothelioma specialist can provide an estimated prognosis based on your overall health and the cancer’s location, stage, and cell type.
Prognosis for Mesothelioma by Cancer Type
Mesothelioma most commonly forms in the lining of the lungs (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum). The type of mesothelioma cancer you have will impact your prognosis.
Pleural Mesothelioma Prognosis
Malignant pleural mesothelioma develops in the lung lining and has an average prognosis of 18 months.
One of the biggest factors affecting the prognosis for pleural mesothelioma patients is the stage of the cancer at diagnosis. Pleural mesothelioma has four stages, with higher stages indicating that the cancer has spread further through the body. Other key factors include age, overall health, and mesothelioma cell type.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen and has an average prognosis of 53 months.
Peritoneal mesothelioma doesn’t have official stages like pleural mesothelioma does, but doctors can assess cancer spread to determine a patient’s prognosis.
Use our Free Doctor Match to get help finding local mesothelioma specialists who can develop a custom treatment plan to improve your prognosis.
Prognosis for Rarer Types of Mesothelioma
There are two rarer types of mesothelioma that can develop in the lining of the heart (pericardial mesothelioma) or testes (testicular mesothelioma).
- The average pericardial mesothelioma prognosis is 2-6 months.
- The average testicular mesothelioma prognosis is over 46 months.
Because they’re so rare, the mesothelioma prognosis for each type can vary widely depending on when the cancer is found and what treatments the patient receives.
Mesothelioma Prognosis by Cancer Stage
Understanding the stage of your mesothelioma is an important step in determining your prognosis and getting the right treatment.
The chart below lists the average mesothelioma prognosis for each stage and the percentage of patients still alive after 2 years (also known as the mesothelioma survival rate).
| Mesothelioma Stage | Prognosis* | 2-Year Survival Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 21 months | 45% |
| Stage 2 | 19 months | 41% |
| Stage 3 | 16 months | 37% |
| Stage 4 | 12 months | 26% |
Even if you or your loved one has advanced-stage mesothelioma, there is always hope. Former construction worker John Stahl has outlived the average stage 4 prognosis for mesothelioma by over 5 years and is enjoying an active retirement with his wife, Dee.
Download our Free Checklist of Questions to Ask Your Doctor to help you get clear answers at your appointments and take the next steps toward improving your mesothelioma prognosis.
Tips for Improving Your Mesothelioma Prognosis
Getting mesothelioma treatment and maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle are key to improving your prognosis. Learn what specific actions you can take below.
1. Get Treatment From a Specialist
Mesothelioma treatment and prognosis are closely linked. Finding a mesothelioma specialist who can create a custom treatment plan is the best way to improve a prognosis.
Mesothelioma treatment options include:
- Surgery to remove all visible signs of mesothelioma cancer (extrapleural pneumonectomy, pleurectomy with decortication, and cytoreduction with HIPEC are the most common)
- Chemotherapy to kill cancer and keep it from spreading
- Immunotherapy to help the body better recognize and attack cancer cells
- Radiation therapy to shrink tumors and reduce painful symptoms
Depending on your health and other factors, your oncologist (cancer doctor) may recommend a combination of treatments, called multimodal therapy. Multimodal treatment can improve your mesothelioma prognosis by targeting different aspects of the disease.
2. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Focusing on your overall health can help your body recover from mesothelioma treatment and improve your well-being. Both of these can have a positive effect on your mesothelioma prognosis.
Here are 4 ways to improve your health and wellness:
- Avoid smoking. Smoking can make it harder to recover from treatments and increase your chances of complications and treatment side effects.
- Get proper nutrition. Following a mesothelioma diet can strengthen your immune system and help you feel better after cancer treatments.
- Incorporate light exercise. Walking or doing simple chair exercises can improve blood flow, reduce fatigue, and increase your appetite.
- Manage stress. Anxiety and stress can negatively affect your overall health and recovery. Meditation, prayer, and yoga may help you feel more relaxed.
Making these changes may seem small, but over time they can add up to big improvements in how you feel and how well your body responds to treatment.
“Don’t discount the importance of nutrition, positive attitude, and exercise on the immune system. These things can really impact how a patient does.”
3. Join a Clinical Trial
You may be able to improve your prognosis by joining a mesothelioma clinical trial.
Clinical trials test emerging treatments, like new immunotherapy combinations and cancer vaccines, that have shown promise in earlier phases of research. Over 50 clinical trials are recruiting mesothelioma patients in the U.S. as of September 2025.
Our Patient Advocates can help you find a clinical trial that’s right for you and walk you through the enrollment process.
Other Mesothelioma Prognosis Factors
In addition to the type and stage of mesothelioma, other aspects of your health can impact your expected survival time.
Some of these include:
- Age at diagnosis: Younger patients may be able to withstand more aggressive treatments like surgery and recover more quickly.
- Cell type: Epithelioid mesothelioma has the longest life expectancy of the mesothelioma cell types and responds the best to treatment. Patients with biphasic and sarcomatoid cell types usually have a less favorable prognosis.
- Gender: Women with mesothelioma tend to live longer and respond better to treatment than men, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Despite these factors, a mesothelioma diagnosis can’t be defined by statistics or one doctor’s prediction. Each patient is unique, and your experience may be very different than someone else’s.
Get our Free Mesothelioma Guide for information on the latest treatments and clinical trials that could help you improve your prognosis.
Survivors Who Beat Their Mesothelioma Prognosis
Some patients have far surpassed their doctors’ expectations and become long-term survivors.
A few of these survivor stories are highlighted below. All of these patients were originally given a prognosis of 6-12 months, but went on to beat the odds by several years and are still alive today.
Julie, 19+ Year Survivor
- Type of mesothelioma: Peritoneal
- Year diagnosed: 2006
- Treatment received: Cytoreductive surgery with heated chemotherapy
John, 6+ Year Survivor
- Type of mesothelioma: Pleural
- Year diagnosed: 2019
- Treatment received: Chemotherapy
Alexis, 18+ Year Survivor
- Type of mesothelioma: Peritoneal
- Year diagnosed: 2007
- Treatment received: Cytoreductive surgery with heated chemotherapy
Arthur, 7+ Year Survivor
- Type of mesothelioma: Pleural
- Year diagnosed: 2018
- Treatment received: Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and alternative nutritional therapy
Reaching Remission From Mesothelioma
Achieving remission is a significant milestone for mesothelioma patients. Remission means the signs and symptoms of the cancer have greatly decreased (partial remission) or disappeared entirely (complete remission).
Patients who enter mesothelioma remission can continue receiving maintenance therapy to prevent their cancer from returning and help them live longer.
Remission from mesothelioma doesn’t always happen, but it isn’t impossible. More patients are experiencing extended periods of remission thanks to advancements in treatment.
Patient Mary Jane Williams was declared cancer-free a year after being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. She spent nearly 15 years in remission before passing away from Alzheimer’s complications.
“A misconception I see is patients assuming they can’t survive or live with mesothelioma. But many of our patients are walking around living relatively normal lives.”
Get Help Improving Your Mesothelioma Prognosis
It can be overwhelming to get diagnosed with mesothelioma and see bleak survival statistics. But you’re more than a number, and you don’t have to face this cancer alone.
Our team has helped thousands of patients like you access medical treatment, financial compensation, and supportive care to improve their length and quality of life.
We can help you:
- Get a second opinion
- Understand your diagnosis
- Make lifestyle changes
- Manage treatment side effects
Call us at (866) 608-8933 or fill out our contact form to get free, dedicated support from our Patient Advocates.
Malignant Mesothelioma Prognosis FAQs
What is the prognosis of mesothelioma cancer?
The prognosis of mesothelioma is 12-21 months on average. That said, every case is different. Some people respond well to surgery, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy and live for many years — some even 20+ years past their original prognosis.
Talking with a mesothelioma specialist is the best way to understand your personal outlook and learn about treatments that may improve it.
Has anyone survived from mesothelioma?
Yes, many people have survived mesothelioma for years beyond their original prognosis. The most well-known example is Paul Kraus, who lived for 27 years and became the longest-living mesothelioma survivor.
Another example is Ellen Patton, who was initially given a mesothelioma prognosis of 12-18 months but is still alive over 24 years later thanks to immunotherapy.
What is the prognosis for peritoneal mesothelioma?
The prognosis for peritoneal mesothelioma is 53 months with cytoreductive surgery (the gold standard treatment for this type of cancer).
Even without surgery, some peritoneal mesothelioma patients respond well to chemotherapy and immunotherapy and live much longer than expected.
What factors affect mesothelioma prognosis?
Several things can impact a patient’s mesothelioma prognosis.
These prognostic factors include:
- Age
- Cancer stage
- Mesothelioma cell type
- Overall health
- Response to treatment
Generally, an early-stage diagnosis is associated with a better prognosis for mesothelioma. People in good health are also more likely to qualify for surgery and other aggressive treatments that can improve their life expectancy.
Other factors include whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, how the patient’s body handles chemotherapy, and whether newer treatment options like immunotherapy are effective.
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