To find New Hampshire mesothelioma treatment and doctors specializing in this rare cancer, look no further than the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center. Residents with a mesothelioma diagnosis can also get world-class treatment in nearby Boston.
Cancer Treatment Facilities in New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s sole NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center is the Dartmouth Cancer Center in Lebanon. The Center treats various patients and is affiliated with Dartmouth College and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System. It also has several satellite locations throughout the state and in Vermont.
For mesothelioma patients, the Dartmouth Cancer Center offers several services and benefits:[1]
- Interdisciplinary research brings clinical trials and opportunities for new treatments to more than 30,000 cancer patients each year.
- The Cancer Center makes a point to reach patients in rural, distant areas of the state.
- The Comprehensive Thoracic Oncology Program provides state-of-the-art care with a team approach. Pleural mesothelioma is included in this program.
- Treatments available for pleural mesothelioma patients include pulmonology services, advanced thoracic radiation therapy, video-assisted and robotic surgery, chemotherapy, and clinical trials.
- The Gastrointestinal Oncology Program can help patients with peritoneal mesothelioma and provides surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and personalized care.
- Support services available to all patients include care transitions, difficult decision-making, family support, oncology nutrition, and palliative care.
Nearby Cancer Treatment
The Cotton Cancer Center is an excellent facility for cancer care, but mesothelioma treatment is highly specialized. Not far from New Hampshire are two important cancer facilities with mesothelioma specialists. If you can travel to Boston and Cambridge, these experts can help.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is world-renowned and partners with the Harvard Cancer Center for patient care and research. On staff here are experts in treating gastrointestinal cancers like peritoneal mesothelioma and specialists like Abraham Lebenthal, an expert in the surgical treatment of pleural mesothelioma.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is home to the International Mesothelioma Program, a center for research and patient care. Dr. Raphael Bueno is the leader of the program and a pleural mesothelioma specialist. Dr. Nelya Melnitchouk directs the peritoneal surface malignancy group and performs cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC, an essential treatment for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.
Physicians Treating Mesothelioma in New Hampshire
True mesothelioma specialists are hard to find. Few in the country have expert training and extensive experience with this rare cancer. In Hampshire, a couple of Cotton Center physicians can help patients with mesothelioma.
Konstantin H. Dragnev, M.D.
Dr. Dragnev is a medical oncologist and the Interim Deputy Director of the Cotton Cancer Center. He also directs clinical research here, helping to bring innovative cancer treatments to patients. Dr. Dragnev’s area of expertise in treatment includes lung and thoracic cancers like pleural mesothelioma.[2]
David J. Finley, M.D.
Dr. Finley is the Section Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Cotton Cancer Center. As a thoracic surgeon, he is trained to perform the complicated procedures needed for many pleural mesothelioma patients. He leads a team of experts collaborating on care for patients with thoracic cancers.[3]
John Federico, M.D.
Dr. Federico is a thoracic surgeon who performs traditional, robotic, thoracoscopic, and minimally invasive procedures. He sees patients at the Coastal Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery in Portsmouth. He treats thoracic cancers, including lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma.[4]
Keisuke Shirai, M.D.
Dr. Shirai is a professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and is a medical and thoracic oncologist. He is a member of the lung and thoracic program with a clinical focus on lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and palliative care.[5]
Rian M. Hasson, M.D.
Dr. Hasson is a thoracic surgeon at Dartmouth Cancer Center and an assistant professor at the Geisel School of Medicine. She specializes in minimally invasive, robotic, and video-assisted surgery for thoracic diseases, including pleural mesothelioma.[6]
Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma Patients in New Hampshire
There is currently just one clinical trial recruiting mesothelioma patients in New Hampshire: A Study of Oral 7HP349 (Alintegimod) in Combination With Ipilimumab Followed by Nivolumab Monotherapy.
It is a study of the safety and dosing of a new drug used with established immunotherapy drugs. Patients with pleural mesothelioma may qualify for the study.[7]
A clinical trial can be an opportunity to try a new treatment. For a mesothelioma patient, this can provide hope, but there are also risks. Talk to your medical team about these risks and if you qualify for any trials. You can find more trials at Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma is terrible news, but treatments are improving constantly. Getting the best care as soon as possible is essential for better outcomes. New Hampshire has an excellent treatment center, and world-class facilities with mesothelioma specialists are also close at hand.
