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Medical Author:

Winston W Tan, MD

Coauthor:

Shehnaz Shaikh, MD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Like most cancers, mesothelioma is best treated when it is diagnosed early. Treatment depends on the location of the tumor, how far it has spread, and your age and general health. Whatever the stage of mesothelioma, there are several types of treatments that can be used.

Traditional treatments for mesothelioma include the following:

• Surgery (removal of the tumor)
• Chemotherapy (using medications to kill cancer cells)
• Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)

Currently, no standard therapy exists for mesothelioma. Often the traditional treatments are used in combination.

Because mesothelioma is difficult to treat, several new therapies are being evaluated currently. They include the following:

• Photodynamic therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Gene therapy