Choosing the wrong mesothelioma hospital could shorten your life by 5 months.

The study · Mayo Clinic researchers, 2023

The 5 month survival difference.

If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma in the last few weeks, you've probably been told this is aggressive. Your doctor probably gave you a timeline.

That timeline was an average. And the average hides a 5-month gap based on where you go for treatment.

In a 2023 study of more than 30,000 mesothelioma patients, those treated at major academic medical centers lived longer than those treated in community settings. Not the only factor. But one of the few you can still control. And one you have to get right early.

Other studies found the same thing.

For peritoneal mesothelioma — the kind that affects the lining of the abdomen — around 3 out of 10 patients treated at academic hospitals were still alive after 5 years. But at community hospitals? That number was only around 2 out of 10.

Researchers also found that getting treatment at a community hospital was linked to a higher risk of dying. Is that something you are willing to take the risk on? Source.

A separate U.S. study looked at patients with early-stage pleural mesothelioma — the kind that affects the lining of the lungs. Those treated at high-volume academic hospitals (the ones that see a lot of mesothelioma cases) lived longer. Source.

The mechanics

Why was there a difference in survival at different hospitals?

The study answered that too.

Academic centers offered more treatment options, more often.

The academic hospitals had more tools in the toolbox.

And they used them more often.

Major academic centers like MD Anderson and Memorial Sloan Kettering build integrative care around the standard treatments — nutrition support, acupuncture, mind-body work — all aimed at one goal: making the patient strong enough to be a surgical candidate, or to tolerate a more aggressive protocol.

A community hospital that sees one or two mesothelioma cases a year doesn't have that infrastructure. They're not running mesothelioma trials. They likely don't have a dedicated mesothelioma program. They're doing their best with what they have. That's not a knock on them. It's just how things are.

The First Hospital You Go To Is Important

First-line treatment is the treatment you get first. It's the round you can't redo.

If your first round of treatment goes through a hospital that doesn't have the full set of options, you might not get the best treatment for your specific situation.

If you get the wrong first-line treatment, it has the potential to hurt your life expectancy.

This isn’t picking a restaurant where next time you’ll try somewhere else. This is the one decision everything else builds on.

So now what?

You need to know which centers near you are academic medical centers. You need to know which ones treat mesothelioma specifically, not just cancer in general. You need to know who's actually accepting new patients this week.

And you need to figure all of that out without spending three weeks on hold.

This is what Renee does.

Why this is free.

Paul Kraus, the world's #1 longest-living mesothelioma survivor.

Surviving Mesothelioma was started by Paul Kraus.

In 1997, Paul was diagnosed with mesothelioma and given months to live. He lived 27 more years. He always said: "accept the diagnosis, but reject the prognosis."

He spent the rest of his life helping other patients do the same. We've been carrying that on for 20 years.

Browse the directory

The Treatment Center Directory.

The directory below shows the major mesothelioma treatment centers in the country. What it can't tell you is who's accepting patients this week, who's booked out for two months, or whether the surgeon you're planning to call is still working there. For that, text Renee on (312) 813-2327.

Common questions

What people ask first.

Don't wait

A list won't get you scheduled faster.

Knowing which centers can actually see you this week will. Most people text Renee first.