Diagnosis and Treatment of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, largely caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer usually forms in the mesothelium cells that line the lung.
Stanford Expertise
When you are being treated for cancer you want a physician who is familiar with your particular disease. Yet because mesothelioma is rare it can be difficult to find a doctor who has treated patients with the disease. Our specialists at the Cancer Center not only treat mesothelioma, but also offer the most advanced diagnostic technologies and treatments available today.
A Personalized, Team Approach
At Stanford Cancer Center we take a multidisciplinary approach to mesothelioma through the Thoracic Oncology Program. Physicians from a variety of specialties are involved in patient evaluation, diagnosis, and therapy. Our treatment team includes faculty physicians from surgical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, medical oncology, and pulmonary medicine.
The Multidisciplinary Thoracic Tumor Board meets weekly to evaluate newly diagnosed patients with a team approach. By having your personalized treatment plan developed by experts from each different field, you can be assured that all possible treatment approaches have been considered and the one that is best for you is put into place.
Diagnosis
Accurately determining how far your cancer has spread is one of the most important factors in choose the most appropriate treatment. Pathology analysis of cells and imaging are both important tests to determine the spread of the cancer.
- Spiral CT screening for mesothelioma, one of the most advanced computer-aided diagnostic systems to assist in screening for abnormalities
- Expertise in CT-directed biopsy to ensure that biopsies contain the cells that will yield the most accurate analysis.
- PET (positron emission tomography) imaging, both investigational and for staging of mesothelioma to ensure that you receive the most appropriate treatment.
- Fine Needle Aspirate Team -- specialized pathologists skilled in making a diagnosis from a tiny number of cells or tissue obtained by less invasive fine-needle aspiration.
Treatment
The treatment your physician team chooses will vary depending on the specific characteristics of your disease. In general, treatment may begin with surgery, and include chemotherapy and/or advanced radiation therapies.
Cancer Center physicians have access to a range of cutting edge treatments that may be appropriate for you, including:
- Radiofrequency ablation, an advanced, minimally invasive procedure that uses a heat-generating, electrode-tipped catheter to destroy tumor cells.
- CyberKnife, an advanced stereotactic radiosurgery device that uses computer technology to deliver radiation therapy with unprecedented precision.
- Photodynamic therapy program with laser for removing obstructing lesions.
- Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) that allows doctors to deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor site while a patient is still in the operating room during surgery. One-time IORT is more convenient than traditional radiotherapy and reduces the exposure of healthy tissues to radiation.
- Intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) that reduces the dose of radiation received by healthy tissue, and can allow doctors to deliver radiation to difficult-to-reach areas.
- Brachytherapy -- the placement of radioactive materials at the tumor site to deliver more targeted radiation therapy and make treatment more convenient.
- Bronchial stenting that opens up airways and makes breathing easier.
Advanced Experimental Therapy
Despite current advanced technologies, mesothelioma is still a difficult-to-treat aggressive cancer. Stanford researchers and physicians are actively involved in developing new and better treatments for this disease, and where appropriate can offer patients access to experimental therapies through clinical trials.
Examples of Stanford research programs in mesothelioma include:
- Studies of gene therapy for mesothelioma
- Clinical trials of paclitaxel analogs
A complete list of clinical trials of chemotherapy, radiation, and new surgical techniques for patients with advanced lung disease is available at the clinical trials database.
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