What is the 12-month mortality rate for malignant mesothelioma?
50%. Excepting the case of stage I disease (a localized, non-invasive lesion), which can often be completely surgically resected, mesothelioma is usually fatal eventually, even with the best available treatment. Treatment strategy will depend on the location, size, and staging of the individual tumor and can include surgery (wedge resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy), chemotherapy, radiation, and photodynamic therapy (a chemically-targeted laser therapy). Numerous clinical trials are currently ongoing, which seek to improve survival rates for established therapeutic modalities (especially chemotherapy).