A new study published this month in the Journal of Surgical Oncology looked at survival rates for people with malignant pleural mesothelioma. It is important to note that the study covers the period from 1992 to 2015, before treatment with immunotherapy started to become available. It also looked at patients in the US, whose access to good health care depends on their ability to afford health insurance. The study included 4,200 patients. 840 were women.
What the study showed
Some of the results were unsurprising. Survival rates were better for younger patients and for people who were in better overall health when they were diagnosed. However, although on average women were diagnosed later in life than men they had better survival rates than their male counterparts. Survival was also improved when people were in a committed relationship. There was no significant difference between the survival rates for those who had chemotherapy and those who also had surgery.
Source: Taioli E, Wolf A, Alpert N, Rosenthal D, Flores R. Malignant pleural mesothelioma characteristics and outcomes: A SEER-Medicare analysis [published online ahead of print, 18 Mar 2023]. J Surg Oncol. 2023;10.1002/jso.27243. doi:10.1002/jso.27243.
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