Mesothelioma Treatment

Immunotherapy is a treatment using drugs to boost your immune system to fight cancer. It is also known as biologic therapy. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) already treat various cancers. Mesothelioma could be next.

Doctors inject a light-sensitive drug into the patient. After a few days, they apply a special light on the area, usually via laser, to activate the drug and kill cancer cells.

Gene therapy involves genetically modifying cells and viruses to control cancer growth. For example, researchers are working on repairing the p53 gene, a tumor-suppressor gene that kills cancer cells before they can replicate.

Virotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses viruses to find and attack cancer cells. Some types of virotherapy involve gene therapy or immunotherapy to make the treatment more effective.

This therapy uses drugs to repair expressions of DNA that cause cells to turn cancerous. Clinical trials in pleural mesothelioma patients show mixed results, but some patients have entered remission for years.

Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that freezes cancer cells to kill them. It can be used before major surgery to shrink tumors, after surgery to treat recurrences or as a palliative treatment to control symptoms.

Patients with pleural effusion may need a PleurX catheter, which allows them to drain pleural fluid at home rather than at the hospital. Once in place, a home health nurse can drain the fluid and teach patients how to do it themselves.