What Is the Average Mesothelioma Life Span?
The average mesothelioma life expectancy is 12-21 months with treatment, according to a report in F1000Research.
However, many factors influence mesothelioma life expectancy — including overall health, cancer stage, and response to treatment — and each patient’s story is unique.
Your life expectancy is not set in stone. If you have mesothelioma cancer, treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy can potentially help you live longer and spend more time with the people you love.
Key Facts on Asbestos Cancer Life Expectancy
- The average mesothelioma life expectancy without treatment is 4-12 months, according to Cancer Therapy Advisor.
- Mesothelioma survival rates measure the percentage of patients still alive a certain amount of time after their diagnosis, usually measured at 1, 3, and 5 years.
- The 1-year survival rate for mesothelioma is 43.7%, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Survival statistics paint the big picture, but there are so many individual stories behind each diagnosis. Get our Free Survivors Guide to read about mesothelioma patients who are still thriving 15+ years later.
What Factors Impact Mesothelioma Life Expectancy?
Mesothelioma type, stage, overall health, and other factors can all influence your prognosis and life expectancy. Learn more about how each of these plays a role in mesothelioma survival.
1. Type of Mesothelioma
There are four types of mesothelioma that develop in different locations of the body.
- Pleural mesothelioma starts in the lining of the lungs (pleura). On average, the life expectancy of a patient with pleural mesothelioma is about 18 months.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdominal lining (peritoneum). The average peritoneal mesothelioma life expectancy is 53 months with treatment.
- Pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining surrounding the heart (pericardium). It has the shortest mesothelioma life expectancy, averaging 2-6 months.
- Testicular mesothelioma starts in the lining of the testes (tunica vaginalis). Patients diagnosed with this type have an average mesothelioma life expectancy of 7 months if they receive treatment.
“Life expectancy with mesothelioma depends on the stage of the disease. It depends on the cell type. I tell patients to stay in the here and now and go one day at a time.”
2. Cancer Stage
The stage of cancer at diagnosis is directly linked to mesothelioma life expectancy. Malignant pleural mesothelioma has four stages that indicate how it has spread.
Peritoneal mesothelioma doesn’t have an official staging system, but some oncologists (cancer doctors) use other methods to determine the extent of the spread and a patient’s life expectancy.
| Stage | Tumor Location | Average Life Expectancy |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | The tumor is limited to one area of the pleura. | 21 months |
| Stage 2 | The tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes. | 19 months |
| Stage 3 | The tumor has spread to more distant lymph nodes and possibly other organs. | 16 months |
| Stage 4 | The tumor has spread to distant organs. | 12 months |
Source: Frontiers in Oncology
Stage 4 Survivor Surpasses His Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
While advanced mesothelioma can come with a shorter life expectancy, many patients have defied their doctors’ projections and gone on to become long-term survivors.
Take John Stahl, for instance — a retired construction worker who was diagnosed with stage 4 mesothelioma back in 2019 and is still going strong thanks to an accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment with chemotherapy.
Dee and John Stahl reached out to Simmons Hanly Conroy, a mesothelioma law firm, to pursue justice after John’s stage 4 mesothelioma diagnosis. View Transcript.
Duration: 4 min 40 sec
Dee Stahl:
The day started out fine. We got up and John, which is unusual for him, just came out of the bedroom
and just sat down and he said, “I just don’t feel good,” and I knew something was wrong because John
doesn’t complain. I said, “Well, I think we should probably go to the ER.”
They found out that there was over two liters of fluid on his left lung and they were amazed that he was
even able to breathe, period. They did a CAT scan then that’s when he just said, “You have stage four
mesothelioma, John.”
John Stahl:
I was kind of blank. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t realize that my job had exposed me to this.
Dee Stahl:
We’re the Stahls. I’m Dee, and this is my husband, John.
John Stahl:
My name is John Stahl. I was first exposed to asbestos poisoning through the construction business,
through Sheetrock, through gaskets and piping all through my career, and I worked 43 years in construction business. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid. The first treatment was with chemotherapy and I went every two weeks. It didn’t take long, an hour or so, but it’d take me seven to 10 days to recover. That was hard for me because I’m a pretty active person.
Dee Stahl:
Asbestos is poison and it’s a prescription for death.
John Stahl:
Yeah.
Dee Stahl:
I don’t know …
John Stahl:
It’s not curable.
Dee Stahl:
Right.
John Stahl:
Well, at first it didn’t really sink in. The longer and longer I thought about it, it’s going to end my life
eventually, but I’m going to live it as well as I can.
Dee Stahl:
It made me mad and sad to think that these manufacturers could continue knowing that there was
asbestos that could hurt people, continued to make these products for how many years, years and years, and look what it’s done to the love of my life.
It’s heartbreaking. We filed a mesothelioma lawsuit because John deserves it. We found out about
Simmons Hanly Conroy when we received a letter introducing us to Todd, and within days, couple of
days, Todd called and we just clicked.
John Stahl:
Filing the lawsuit was easy because Todd made it easy. He explained what was going to happen. It was
pretty simple.
Dee Stahl:
It’s been fantastic. I can’t put into words because anytime Todd would call, it was, “How’s John doing?
How’s my buddy John doing and how are you doing?” He just made you comfortable. It was a great
experience.
John Stahl:
My kids are gonna be taken care of, Dee’s gonna be taken care of, so it’s a peace of mind knowing that I
don’t have to worry about them going down the road.
Dee Stahl:
I want people out there to realize that there is help and they can get assistance and get a settlement
from these manufacturers that continue to use this and know that it was dangerous for people.
John Stahl:
We filed a mesothelioma lawsuit to hold companies accountable. It’s important people understand that
there’s help and there’s people there willing to help them go through this process of making these
companies liable for what they’ve caused.
3. Cell Type
There are three mesothelioma cell types that determine how aggressively the tumor cells spread and how they respond to treatment.
Epithelioid mesothelioma has the longest average life expectancy, as it’s the least aggressive cell type and is the easiest to treat. However, there are treatment options that may help regardless of your cell type.
| Cell Type | Average Mesothelioma Life Expectancy |
|---|---|
| Epithelioid | 14 months |
| Sarcomatoid | 4 months |
| Biphasic | 10 months |
4. Treatment Response
Mesothelioma is a tough cancer to treat, but how someone responds to treatment can make a big difference in how long they live.
No two mesothelioma cases are exactly the same, but treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy can help control the size and spread of the disease.
If the body responds well, meaning the treatment shrinks or slows the cancer, life expectancy can increase significantly. A strong treatment response can mean living months or even years longer.
5. Age, Lifestyle, and Nutrition
Other factors that can impact someone’s mesothelioma life span include:
- Age: Younger patients under the age of 50 have the highest survival rates based on data from the NCI.
- Nutrition: Pleural mesothelioma survivor Arthur Putt tried several cancer treatments that came with a host of side effects but had limited results. By adding specific nutrients to his diet, he eased his side effects and strengthened his immune system. Arthur has now surpassed his life expectancy by over 7 years.
- Overall health: Life expectancy is higher for non-smoking patients with no coexisting health conditions. These patients are usually eligible for mesothelioma surgery and tend to remain healthier for longer.
- Sex: Women with mesothelioma live longer on average than men. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), this might be because men have experienced longer and more frequent asbestos exposure in high-risk industries like shipbuilding and construction.
Use our Free Doctor Match to connect with a specialist who can help you improve your mesothelioma life expectancy.
How to Improve Your Life Expectancy With Mesothelioma
Many mesothelioma survivors have far surpassed their initial life expectancy, so know that there is always hope. Some of the ways you may be able to improve life expectancy with mesothelioma are listed below.
- Confirm your diagnosis is complete and correct. Getting a second opinion on your mesothelioma type, stage, and cell type will help make sure you’re pursuing the most effective treatment plan from the start.
- Find a mesothelioma specialist. Work with an oncologist who has experience treating mesothelioma and knows which treatment options are best for your diagnosis.
- Manage your nutrition. Top mesothelioma cancer centers offer diet and nutrition support to help your body stay strong during the treatment process.
- Pursue palliative care. Studies show palliative care — which focuses on symptom relief, pain management, and other quality-of-life improvements — can actually extend survival. The earlier you get this type of care, the better.
“If your doctor is not a professional and has not lived it and breathed it, get another oncologist. You need someone experienced — someone who’s going to fight for you and with you.”
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy With Treatment
The best way to increase your life expectancy after a mesothelioma diagnosis is with treatment from a specialist.
Treatments for mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. New and emerging therapies are also showing promise in clinical trials.
Surgery
Patients who receive surgery have an average life expectancy of 19.8 months, according to a review of the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
Surgery allows mesothelioma doctors to physically remove as much of the cancer as possible.
Surgeries that can improve mesothelioma life expectancy include:
- Pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) for pleural mesothelioma. Patients have an average life expectancy of 34 months.
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) for pleural mesothelioma. The typical survival time is 8 months when combined with chemotherapy and radiation.
- Cytoreduction with HIPEC for peritoneal mesothelioma. Patients live 53 months on average.
Patients may be able to receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in combination with surgery to kill more cancer cells.
Chemotherapy
According to an OncLive report, mesothelioma patients who receive chemotherapy have an average life expectancy of 14.1 months. Those who qualify for surgery before or after chemotherapy typically have a higher life expectancy.
Mesothelioma chemotherapy involves administering powerful cancer-fighting medications through an IV in multiple cycles with periods of recovery between each session.
Jill’s Story: 16+ Years of Survival With Chemotherapy & Surgery
Jill’s Story: 16+ Years of Survival With Chemotherapy & SurgeryJill Litton was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 2009, shortly after she celebrated her 50th birthday. She was given fewer than 2 years to live. However, she was determined to fight for more time with her family.
“Just because you have cancer and your doctor says you have a year to live doesn’t mean you must suddenly agree to those terms.”
– Jill Litton, 16+ year mesothelioma survivor
Jill received the chemotherapy medications pemetrexed and cisplatin and later underwent cytoreductive surgery with heated chemotherapy. This treatment combination — along with her strong faith — helped her beat her prognosis and make more memories with her children and grandchildren.
You can read more about Jill’s journey and get tips for improving your life expectancy in our Free Mesothelioma Survivors Guide.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy works by training the body’s immune system to better recognize and attack tumor cells, slowing down cancer growth.
There are two immunotherapy drug regimens for mesothelioma as of 2025:
- Opdivo and Yervoy®: Patients treated with these two immunotherapy drugs have an average mesothelioma life span of 18.1 months, according to results from the CheckMate 743 trial.
- Keytruda®: The KEYNOTE-483 trial found that mesothelioma patients treated with Keytruda and chemotherapy lived 19.8 months, compared to 8.9 months with chemotherapy alone.
Download the updated 3rd edition of our Free Immunotherapy Guide to learn more about how this promising treatment works and get tips for managing side effects.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy damages the DNA of cancer cells, causing them to die or stop dividing.
According to the NCDB, the average mesothelioma life expectancy with radiation therapy is 12.2 months.
Radiation is a key part of multimodal treatment plans for mesothelioma and can be combined with surgery and chemotherapy to make them more effective and potentially extend life expectancy.
Emerging Treatments in Clinical Trials
Emerging treatments in clinical trials have shown promise in improving mesothelioma life expectancy.
- Gene therapy: Doctors reprogram cancer cells by adding new genes to them. These genes can help the body recognize and attack the cancer or make treatments like chemotherapy work better.
One approach being tested for mesothelioma uses a virus to deliver a special gene called interferon into cancer cells, helping the immune system find and destroy them. - Photodynamic therapy: A special medicine is injected and travels through the body, where it is absorbed by cancer cells. Doctors then shine a laser light on the tumor to activate the drug, which destroys the cancer.
For some patients, this treatment has helped improve survival when combined with pleurectomy with decortication surgery. - Targeted therapy: These drugs find and block the signals that cancer cells use to grow. Instead of attacking all fast-growing cells like chemotherapy does, they focus only on cancer cells.
Because they’re more precise, targeted therapies may cause fewer side effects and keep tumors from growing. This could help patients feel better and live longer.
These promising therapies are still being studied, but they offer hope for more effective ways to treat mesothelioma and extend patients’ lives.
Mesothelioma Life Expectancy Without Treatment
When mesothelioma is left untreated, life expectancy is unfortunately limited.
- Pleural mesothelioma has an average life expectancy of about 4 to 12 months without treatment.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma typically allows for a slightly longer survival time of 6 to 12 months without medical care.
These numbers can feel overwhelming, but they’re just averages. Factors like age, overall health, and how quickly the cancer is growing can all play a role.
Even if you decide not to get treatment, palliative care can make your symptoms more manageable.
Get Help Improving Your Life Expectancy With Mesothelioma Cancer
If you or a family member is facing mesothelioma, remember that there’s always hope. Even patients who have been given just months to live have become long-term survivors in some cases.
It’s possible to live a full life with this cancer, and Mesothelioma Hope is here to guide you toward a path of healing.
Our nurses and Patient Advocates can help you:
- Connect with doctors who can recommend life-extending treatment
- Find the latest clinical trials
- Get involved with a support group or peer mentor
- Explore ways to pay for medical expenses
Call (866) 608-8933 to speak with us right now or get started with our Free Doctor Match.
Mesothelioma Life Span FAQs
How long do you live after being diagnosed with mesothelioma?
Most people with mesothelioma live between 12 and 21 months with treatment, but this is just an estimate.
Factors like the type of mesothelioma, how early it’s found, and your overall health can play a role in life expectancy.
The good news is that treatments are getting more effective, and doctors are finding new ways to help people live longer with this disease.
Has anyone beat mesothelioma?
Yes, there have been cases of patients achieving remission from mesothelioma. Remission occurs when doctors cannot find evidence of cancer in a patient’s body.
One example is mesothelioma survivor Mary Jane Williams, who was cancer-free for 14 years when she passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2018.
What is the average mesothelioma life expectancy without treatment?
The average mesothelioma life expectancy without treatment ranges from 4 months to 1 year, depending on the type of cancer and other factors.
- Pleural mesothelioma: 4-12 months without treatment
- Peritoneal mesothelioma: 6-12 months without treatment
These figures highlight how important it is to start treatment as soon as you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.
If you’re concerned about side effects from treatment, reach out to our team to learn about palliative care options that can help manage side effects and improve your quality of life.
What is the life expectancy of a person with mesothelioma?
The life expectancy of someone with mesothelioma can vary, but most people live between 12 and 21 months after diagnosis if they choose to get treatment.
Some people live much longer, especially with early detection and newer treatments like immunotherapy. There are survivors who are still thriving several years beyond their original mesothelioma prognosis.
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