Cutting edge research has revealed the secrets that can help someone live longer while battling mesothelioma. This rare and aggressive form of cancer manifests in three main forms: pleural (affecting the lungs), pericardial (affecting the lining of the heart), and peritoneal (affecting abdominal tissues). Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and thousands more abroad. While there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

Now, an Australian study has shed some light on the important characteristics of patients who are successfully fighting off peritoneal mesothelioma. In the study, the 20 mesothelioma sufferers underwent cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).The HIPEC procedure involves injected heated chemotherapy liquid into a patient’s abdominal cavity during surgery.

According to the researchers who conducted the study, patients who had a better prognosis (and therefore better chances for survival) after this procedure were those who did not smoke or consume alcohol. The study also found that women fared slightly better than men. On average, these patients survived for about 30 months.

Local news sources are quick to add that, “The survival rate for patients with mesothelioma is usually very low, and though life expectancy for most falls in between four to 18 months following diagnosis and available treatments, they do not cure the condition.”