Location
12902 Magnolia Drive
Tampa, FL 33612
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Location
12902 Magnolia Drive
Tampa, FL 33612
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Why Choose Moffitt for Mesothelioma?

Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa was Florida’s first of only 2 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers and is home to a dedicated Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center, offering patients access to multidisciplinary care, cutting-edge clinical trials and some of the most experienced mesothelioma specialists in the country. That designation means Moffitt meets strict federal standards for research, multidisciplinary care and access to cutting-edge clinical trials.

At Moffitt, surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nutritionists and social workers collaborate on every individual case. The team meets regularly to build a coordinated treatment plan for each patient. “We function as a team. And that’s absolutely key in providing the best possible care,” Dr. Fontaine tells us. “Under one roof, everyone is pulling in the same direction with the same goal.”

Dr. Fontaine | Patient Experience at Moffit Cancer Center
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Exclusive Content | Dr. Fontaine | Patient Experience at Moffit Cancer Center

Mesothelioma Specialists at Moffitt

Dr. Jacques Fontaine, director of the Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center, heads a mesothelioma team at Moffitt that includes specialists in both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma who collaborate through a multidisciplinary tumor board on every patient case. Each specialist brings a distinct area of expertise and together they cover every dimension of mesothelioma care, from surgery and chemo to radiation and immunotherapy.

The team follows a multidisciplinary tumor board model. Every specialist reviews and weighs in on each patient’s case, helping ensure each person diagnosed with mesothelioma gets a treatment plan that reflects the full picture of their diagnosis.

Dr. Jacques Fontaine

Jacques Fontaine

Pleural Specialist | Thoracic Surgery

Expertise:
Pleural Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Thoracic Diseases Minimally Invasive Surgery Pleurectomy and Decortication Surgery
Moffitt Cancer Center • Tampa, Florida
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Expertise:
Pleural Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Thoracic Diseases Minimally Invasive Surgery Pleurectomy and Decortication Surgery
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, Florida
View Profile

Dr. Jacques Fontaine is the Director of the Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. He specializes in minimally invasive thoracic surgery including robotic surgery. Fontaine became a pleural mesothelioma specialist while studying under Dr. Sugarbaker at the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

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Mesothelioma Types Treated at Moffitt

Moffitt Cancer Center’s Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center treats pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma and subtypes including epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic, tailoring care to offer the most effective therapies for each patient. The team tailors every treatment plan to each patient’s diagnosis, ensuring they receive the most effective therapies available.

Specialized Mesothelioma Care at Moffitt

  • Pleural mesothelioma: This type develops in the lining of the lungs. Moffitt offers lung-sparing surgery such as pleurectomy/decortication, as well as chemo and immunotherapy.
  • Peritoneal mesothelioma: This type develops in the lining of the abdomen. Moffitt offers tumor-removing surgery with heated chemo, known as HIPEC, a gold standard of peritoneal care. The FDA hasn’t approved immunotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma, but doctors increasingly use it and continue to study it in clinical trials.
  • Subtypes of mesothelioma: Mesothelioma tumors fall into 3 cellular subtypes: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic. A patient’s subtype influences which treatments doctors recommend and how the cancer responds to therapy.

Moffitt specialists treat every mesothelioma type and subtype with a coordinated, team-based approach. The team evaluates each patient’s condition to build an individualized treatment plan focused on the best possible outcome and quality of life.

Medical Outreach’s Take: Recommending Moffitt to Mesothelioma Patients

Our Medical Outreach Team maintains a long-standing, collaborative relationship with the mesothelioma specialists at Moffitt Cancer Center, regularly referring both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients for care.

  • Pleural Mesothelioma: Dr. Fontaine directs the pleural program and offers expertise in a full spectrum of surgical options, including both aggressive and minimally invasive approaches.
  • Peritoneal Mesothelioma: For surgical candidates, the treatment philosophy is centered around HIPEC.
  • Clinical Research: Moffitt’s NCI designation grants patients access to early-phase and investigator-initiated clinical trials.

Notable Procedures at Moffitt

Moffitt Cancer Center offers mesothelioma patients access to state-of-the-art treatments including hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, or HIPEC, intensity modulated radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy and tumor treating fields. The team selects treatments based on each patient’s diagnosis, cancer type and overall health.

Moffitt’s State-of-the-Art Mesothelioma Treatments

  • Gene therapy: Altering the genetic material inside cancer cells slows or stops tumor growth. Moffitt currently offers gene therapy for mesothelioma patients through clinical trials.
  • HIPEC: This procedure delivers heated chemo directly into the abdominal cavity during tumor-removing surgery. Doctors use it to treat peritoneal mesothelioma, targeting cancer cells that remain after surgeons remove visible tumors.
  • Intensity modulated radiation therapy: IMRT uses precise, computer-controlled beams to deliver high doses of radiation to tumors while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. It’s a highly targeted approach that reduces side effects for mesothelioma patients.
  • Photodynamic therapy: Light-activated drugs destroy cancer cells. Doctors most often consider photodynamic therapy for early-stage mesothelioma patients in combination with other therapies.
  • Surgery: Dr. Fontaine is a pioneer in robotic surgery, which makes Moffitt a unique center for treating mesothelioma. Doctors use surgical procedures such as P/D and EPP to remove tumors and extend survival. Surgery is most effective in a multimodal plan, often pairing tumor-removing procedures with therapies like immunotherapy and chemo. 
  • Tumor Treating Fields: TTFields uses low-intensity electrical fields to disrupt cancer cell division and slow tumor growth. Doctors use TTFields with other mesothelioma treatments.

“Some of these well-known facilities are very good and have decades of outstanding experience in the treatment of mesothelioma. But there are now other centers around the country doing innovative things, too. We’re one of them,” Dr. Fontaine tells us.

Clinical Trials at Moffitt

Moffitt actively leads and participates in mesothelioma clinical trials, giving patients access to emerging treatments not yet widely available. Its NCI designation connects Moffitt to a national network of cancer research, giving patients early access to innovative therapies often not available elsewhere.

Patients can explore active mesothelioma trials at Moffitt through Patient Advocates or their care team at Moffitt to learn which trials match their diagnosis. A specialist can walk you through eligibility requirements and what participation involves.

NCT06051695

A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Mesothelin-Targeting Logic-gated CAR T, in Participants With Solid Tumors That Express MSLN and Have Lost HLA-A*02 Expression

The goal of this study is to test autologous logic-gated Tmod™ CAR T-cell products in subjects with solid tumors including colorectal cancer (CRC), pancreatic cancer (PANC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), ovarian cancer (OVCA), mesothelioma (MESO), and other solid tumors that express mesothelin (MSLN) and have lost HLA-A\*02 expression. The main questions this study aims to answer are: Phase 1: What is the recommended dose that is safe for patients Phase 2: Does the recommended dose kill solid tumor cells and protect the patient's healthy cells Participants will be required to perform study procedures and assessments, and will also receive the following study treatments: Enrollment and Apheresis in BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119) Preconditioning Lymphodepletion (PCLD) Regimen Tmod CAR T cells at the assigned dose

NCT05568680

SynKIR-110 for Mesothelin Expressing Ovarian Cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma or Mesothelioma

This first-in-human (FIH) trial is designed to assess the safety, feasibility, and potential activity of a single intravenous (IV) dose of SynKIR-110 administered to subjects with mesothelin-expressing advanced ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and cholangiocarcinoma.

NCT04981119

Solid Tumor Analysis for HLA Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) and Apheresis for CAR T- Cell Manufacturing

Objective: To collect information on how often a solid tumor cancer might lose the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) by next generation sequencing and perform apheresis to collect and store an eligible participant's own T cells for future use to make CAR T-Cell therapy for their disease treatment. Design: This is a non-interventional, observational study to evaluate participants with solid tumors with a high risk of relapse for incurable disease. No interventional therapy will be administered on this study. Some of the information regarding the participant's tumor analysis may be beneficial to management of their disease. Participants that meet all criteria may be enrolled and leukapheresed (blood cells collected). The participant's cells will be processed and stored for potential manufacture of CAR T-cell therapy upon relapse of their cancer.

What Doctors Say About Moffitt

Mesothelioma specialists at Moffitt Cancer Center like Dr. Fontaine describe an environment where innovation and collaboration result in better measurable outcomes for mesothelioma patients. Dr. Fontaine, who directs the Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Center, says the team’s willingness to push boundaries sets Moffitt apart from other cancer centers.

“To make advances in the treatment of mesothelioma, you have to be willing to innovate,” Dr. Fontaine says. “And our patients benefit from this approach. Collaboration is so key to what we do. Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer, but we can treat it aggressively now.”

Getting Specialized Care at Moffitt Cancer Center
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Exclusive Content | Dr. Fontaine | Patient Experience at Moffit Cancer Center

Survivors Treated at Moffitt

Mesothelioma survivors treated at Moffitt Cancer Center, where survival rates are nearly 2.5 times the national average, describe receiving personalized, multidisciplinary care and access to treatments including surgery, immunotherapy and clinical trials. Their stories reflect the range of mesothelioma types and treatments the team at Moffitt handles every day.

“Mesothelioma might have thought that it had me, but I didn’t have it.”

Judy Goodson , Peritoneal mesothelioma, Cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC

“Instead of saying, ‘I have to go to the doctor’s tomorrow,’ it’s ‘I get to go to the doctor.’ I look forward to it. I get to go golfing. I get to go boating. This is no dress rehearsal for me. It’s life.”

Pleural mesothelioma survivor John Fiala
John Fiala , Pleural mesothelioma, Immunotherapy clinical trial

“We heard about this study, and I asked my local oncologist. He said, if you want to be a guinea pig, go do it, that’s your choice,” Lamkins recalled. “Well, I really had no choice. I had nothing to lose, and figured if it didn’t work for me, what the doctors learned might help somebody else down the road.”

Mesothelioma survivor Russell Lamkins celebrating his 70th birthday
Russell Lamkins , Pleural mesothelioma, Transarterial chemoperfusion clinical trial

“I was so impressed with the staff, and that really gave me confidence to get through this,” Wood said. “Dr. Fontaine told me right out I had the type of mesothelioma he could treat effectively. He made me believe. He went into so much detail, spent so much time with me. You could see how dedicated he was right from the start.”

Charles and Sharon Wood
Charles Wood , Pleural mesothelioma, Multimodal therapy

Their stories offer hope to others experiencing mesothelioma, whether as a patient or a loved one. Read more of their inspirational stories in our Wall of Hope.