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. 2012 Jun 26;107(1):161-4.
doi: 10.1038/bjc.2012.245. Epub 2012 May 29.

Prognosis and prognostic factors of patients with mesothelioma: a population-based study

S van der Bij  1 , H Koffijberg, J A Burgers, P Baas, M J van de Vijver, B A J M de Mol, K G M Moons
Affiliations

Prognosis and prognostic factors of patients with mesothelioma: a population-based study

S van der Bij et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: It is important to regularly update survival estimates of patients with malignant mesothelioma as prognosis may vary according to epidemiologic factors and diagnostic and therapeutic management.

Methods: We assessed overall (baseline) survival as well as related prognostic variables in a large cohort of 1353 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma between 2005 and 2008.

Results: About 50% of the patients were 70 years or older at diagnosis and the median latency time since start of asbestos exposure was 49 years. One year after diagnosis, 47% of the patients were alive, 20% after 2 years and 15% after 3 years. Prognostic variables independently associated with worse survival were: older age (HR=1.04 per year 95% CI (1.03-1.06)), sarcomatoid subtype (HR=2.45 95% CI (2.06-2.90)) and non-pleural localisation (HR=1.67 95% CI (1.26-2.22)).

Conclusion: Survival of patients with malignant mesothelioma is still limited and depends highly on patient age, mesothelioma subtype and localisation. In addition, a substantial part of the patients had a long latency time between asbestos exposure and diagnosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

BAJMM is a board member of the Institute for Asbestos Victims. MJV is chairman of the Dutch National Mesothelioma Panel. JAB is chairman of the Mesothelioma Group of the Dutch Thoracic Society. Conclusions of this paper reflect the opinions of the authors and do not represent any determination or policy of the Institute for Asbestos Victims.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan–Meier survival curve showing the overall survival and 95% CI from the time of the diagnosis of mesothelioma for (1) the entire study cohort and (2) of the general Dutch population. The 95% CI is presented by the broken line. The Dutch population was adjusted (i.e., standardised) to the age and gender distribution of the study cohort. The number of study patients at risk is indicated at the bottom of the plot (above the x axis).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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