Types of Mesothelioma Treatment

If a patient’s diagnosis and health indicates that their response to curative treatment may be positive, their doctor may develop a course of treatment to remove the tumor(s) and attempt to prevent metastasis throughout the body. If the patient is dealing with a late-stage cancer, the treatment is more likely to be palliative in nature, addressing the symptoms while improving the patient’s quality of life. The following treatment options may be either palliative or curative, depending on the patient’s case:

Surgery

Surgery is one of the most common treatments for mesothelioma. Patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the lymph nodes may be eligible for curative surgery that removes the tumors. Depending upon the patient’s diagnosis and overall health, mesothelioma surgeries can be either curative or palliative, and may fall somewhere in between if surgery efforts are effective. Mesothelioma surgery is commonly followed by other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation in an attempt to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Learn more about mesothelioma surgery

Mesothelioma Surgery Options

Pleural Surgeries

Thoracotomy

A portion of the lung is removed

Pneumonectomy

Removal of entire affected lung

Extrapleural Pneumonectomy

Removal of entire lung, linings of lungs, lining of heart, and part of the diaphragm

Pleurectomy & Decortication (P/D)

Removal of tumors and portions of pleura

Pleurodesis

Extraction of fluid and sealing of pleural space

Peritoneal Surgeries

Paracentesis

Removal of fluid from abdominal cavity

Pericardial Surgeries

Pericardiocentesis

Removal of fluid from pericardial sac

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has shown to be the most effective and least invasive form of treatment to extend life expectancy. Depending upon the location of the cancer, some patients may be eligible for heated chemotherapy, a treatment commonly used for cases of peritoneal mesothelioma. Cisplatin, the most commonly used chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma, is frequently used in conjunction with pemetrexed to achieve the most advantageous results in reducing tumors.
Learn more about chemotherapy for mesothelioma

Radiation

Radiation therapy directly applies radiation to the cancerous locations. This is through either sealed or unsealed source radiation. Patients of all stages are eligible to receive radiation therapy, as it can be used in conjunction with other treatments to reduce tumor growth and ease symptoms.
Learn about the types of radiation therapy and how they work

Emerging & Alternative Treatments

While surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are considered the most common types of mesothelioma treatment, a number of new therapies are currently in development. Immunotherapy manipulates the patient’s immune system into attacking the tumors, while photodynamic therapy exposes cancer cells to photosensitizing drugs and specific lights. Gene therapy is another experimental treatment that attempts to correct defective genes that may lead to cancerous changes.

Immunotherapy Gene Therapy Photodynamic Therapy

Multimodal Therapy

In a recent study, 46% of mesothelioma patients showed a 5-year survival rate following multimodal therapy

Multimodal therapy is one of the most common approaches to treating mesothelioma, combining two or more treatments that may be completed simultaneously or in a planned sequence. A mesothelioma specialist can most adequately analyze a patient’s condition and develop a treatment regimen that will best benefit the patient.
Learn how multimodal therapy works

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are used to test experimental treatments before they are approved for widespread clinical use. These trials often explore new procedures and drugs and compare them to the current standard of mesothelioma treatment.

Get help enrolling in clinical trials View recruiting clinical trials

Alternative & Complimentary Treatments

When choosing a therapy plan, some patients consider alternative and complementary mesothelioma treatments. Alternative treatments refer to any unconventional treatment methods, and complementary treatments refer to an alternative therapy used to supplement one or more conventional treatments. A number of mesothelioma survivors credit their remission to alternative therapies.