What is the outlook in my case? How long do I have to live?
The person who can answer this question the best is your oncologist, the doctor who is overseeing all your care. The stage of your cancer is a critical factor in determining your prognosis. Patients with Stage 1 tumors have more treatment options and a better outlook. The type of cell tumor also affects your prognosis. Epithelioid-type mesothelioma seems to be slightly easier to treat. Your general health apart from the mesothelioma is also a factor. If you are generally in good health, you will more likely be able to tolerate aggressive treatment to eliminate the cancer.
How long you have to live is something no one can tell you with any certainty. If you become very ill with the cancer and the doctors have no treatment to offer you, that probably means that it is time to think about getting hospice care (see later question) and dealing with end-of-life questions.
Beyond that, there are statistics. Those are averages of how patients do. Your doctor may be able to tell you if he thinks you will do as well as most people with your stage of tumor, better or worse.
The percentages are based on data that is not current. Since mesothelioma is a rare cancer, it takes time to test new ways to treat it. There are good results with some of the surgeries, as well as with two-agent chemotherapy. The best results seem to be with combinations of surgery and chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy. Even if you are not a candidate for surgery, the results with chemotherapy are getting better all the time.