Treatment of mesothelioma is dependent upon the location and stage of the cancer as well as the age and health of the patient. Standard treatment involves surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and combinations of the three. Unfortunately, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed during an advanced stage of the disease. At this point, removal of the cancer is not always possible. As, such, treatment may be directed towards methods of controlling the cancer and efforts to make the patient comfortable. Treatment that is designed to relieve patients of pain and discomfort is described as palliative. Treatment that attempts to remove cancer and cure the disease is described as curative.

Surgery is the most common treatment method. A surgeon removes part of the chest lining or the abdomen and some of the surrounding tissue. With pleural mesothelioma, a pneumonectomy may be required. A pneumonectomy is a surgical procedure where the affected lung is removed. In some cases, part of the diaphragm is also removed. The diaphragm is a muscle below the lungs that assists with breathing. In some patients, surgery may not be suitable and the only other alternative is to employ techniques that will relieve the patient of symptoms.

Thoracentesis and Pleurodesis
Thoracentesis and pleurodesis are palliative surgical procedures used to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with cancer. Since mesothelioma involves the build-up of fluids in the chest or abdomen, which creates pain for the patient, doctors may perform a procedure known as thoracentesis. This procedure involves draining the fluid build-up using a needle or thin tube. Another procedure known as pleurodesis uses drugs to prevent any further build-up of fluids. Drugs are administered through a thin tube. Thoracentesis and pleurodesis have shown to be effective in temporarily controlling fluid in about 90% of the patients that receive the procedures. These procedures have also shown to be effective in helping patients to breath when pleural fluids compress the lungs to cause a shortness of breath. A side of effect of these procedures is that it is possible for cancer cells to spread along the path of the needles used in the procedures. This may be responsible to create small tumors under the skin in the particular area of the incision. However, the risk of this complication does not outweigh the benefit of having fluid removed.

Radiation therapy is used to kill cancerous cells or shrink cancerous tumors. Radiation, also called radiotherapy, involves using high-energy x-rays to target specific cancer cells. Radiation may be performed externally or internally. When radiation is delivered via a machine, it is described as external. When radiation is delivered by the insertion of materials that generate radiation, it is described as internal. Materials are inserted through thin plastic tubes to the area of the cancer cells. Radiation is typically the alternative for patients who are not able to sustain surgical procedures. However, radiation is not that effective against mesothelioma. When radiation poses a risk to sensitive organs in the body, such as the heart, lungs and spinal cord, doctors are forced to use low doses of radiation in order to protect these organs. As such, mesothelioma tends to be resistant to the effects of radiation. Chemotherapy is a process used to kill cancerous cells throughout the body using anticancer drugs. While the process is successful in killing cancer cells, it also affects other body cells, such as cells in hair follicles and the gastrointestinal system. Traditionally, the process involved the intravenous injection of drugs through the vein. Newer procedures involve intracavitary methods of inserting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen. When drugs are directly inserted into the chest cavity, it is called as intrapleurally. When drugs are directly inserted into the abdominal cavity, it is called intraperitoneally. Chemotherapy may be used as the primary treatment method or it may be used in conjunction with surgery. When chemotherapy is used to treat mesothelioma, it is always considered to be palliative, not curative.

Clinical Trials
Mesothelioma is a complicated disease that is very hard to control. Clinical trials are used to determine whether treatment methods are safe for use and effective against the disease. Before new treatment methods are recommended for wide-scale use, clinical trials are performed. A number of clinical trials have been performed to study the effects of various treatments. New clinical trials are always being designed to find new and better methods of treatment. Though clinical trials present both risks and benefits to patients, participating in clinical trails is sometimes the best or only treatment option for many patients. While the results of a clinical trial are not known in advance, this form of treatment provides patients with access to new and promising drugs and treatment methods.