A diagnosis of mesothelioma requires specialist care. Although there are other good cancer centers in other parts of the state, South Carolina mesothelioma treatment and doctors are found in Charleston. Find an expert team to help you make decisions about care and to deliver the best treatments.
South Carolina Cancer Treatment Centers
The most comprehensive care for any type of cancer in the state is in Charleston, but if you don’t live in that area, consider other cancer centers.
Hollings Cancer Center
The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is located in Charleston and is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. It received the designation in 2009 for its research and patient care. If you have mesothelioma, consider getting care here for several important reasons:[1]
- The Lung and Thoracic Cancers Program treats patients with pleural mesothelioma through a collaborative team approach.
- The Gastrointestinal Cancers Program helps patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. Experts in this program collaborate with the MUSC Digestive Disease Center.
- Hollings offers a variety of treatments so patients can receive multimodal care: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and innovative treatments from research.
- Clinical trials at Hollings bring novel treatment approaches to patients.
- Patients at Hollings benefit from additional support services that go beyond standard treatment. These include financial counseling, art therapy, genetic counseling, support groups, psychological counseling, nutrition services, spiritual programs, and wellness services.
Prisma Health Cancer Institute
Prisma Health has several locations, including Greenville, where cancer patients can receive excellent care from experts in their fields. Mesothelioma patients may benefit from getting treatment here:[2]
- The Multidisciplinary Center brings together diverse experts to collaborate on each patient’s treatment plan.
- Lung cancer is a particular area of focus at Prisma Health, which means that pleural mesothelioma patients receive specialized, expert care.
- The Rare Tumor Center is one of few such programs in the U.S. devoted to helping patients with rare cancer types, like mesothelioma.
- Prisma Health offers patients various support services, including support groups, nutrition counseling, hospice and palliative care, home health care, and spiritual care.
- Clinical trials conducted here provide patients with more treatment opportunities.
Physicians Treating Mesothelioma in South Carolina
Hollings Cancer Center is home to experts in cancer care and physicians who have experience treating patients with mesothelioma.
Carol A. Sherman, M.D.
Dr. Sherman is a medical oncologist and a part of the Hollings Lung and Thoracic Cancer Program. She specializes in treating lung cancer using chemotherapy, but she also helps patients with pleural mesothelioma. Dr. Sherman also reaches patients through community outreach and other medical centers in North Charleston and Mount Pleasant.[3]
Barry C. Gibney, D.O.
As an assistant professor of surgery at MUSC’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Gibney is an expert in treating thoracic cancers, including pleural mesothelioma. He specializes in using minimally invasive procedures to help patients recover faster.[4]
David Mahvi, M.D.
Dr. Mahvi is the Chief of the Oncology Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence at Hollings Cancer Center. He is a surgical oncologist specializing in treating gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. Mahvi can treat all kinds of related cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma, which often requires surgical procedures for the best outcome.[5]
Additional Mesothelioma Specialists in South Carolina
- Marian Alexander, M.D., thoracic medical oncologist, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston
- Alice M. Boylan, M.D., critical care specialist and pulmonologist, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
- Kathryn Engelhardt, M.D., thoracic surgeon, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston
- Jennifer L. Gnerlich, M.D., surgical oncologist, Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia
- Kevin K. Roggin, M.D., surgical oncologist, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston
- Ian Christopher Bostock Rosenzweig, M.D., thoracic surgeon, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston
- Gerard A. Silvestri, M.D., lung cancer pulmonologist, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston
- Jeffrey Sutton, M.D., surgical oncologist, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston
- John Wrangle, M.D., thoracic medical oncologist, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma Patients in South Carolina
Mesothelioma patients may choose to participate in clinical trials because these studies offer access to new, innovative treatments. If you are interested in a clinical trial, talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks and determine if you qualify.
There is only one trial currently accepting mesothelioma patients with a location in South Carolina:
Study of CTX-471 as a Monotherapy or in Combination With Pembrolizumab in Patients Post PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Metastatic or Locally Advanced Malignancies
This is a phase I, first-in-human trial of a new therapeutic agent.[6]
- Researchers are testing the new drug alone and in combination with pembrolizumab.
- They need patients with specific metastatic or advanced cancers, including mesothelioma. Participants must also meet other criteria.
- The study will test the safety and tolerability of various doses of the new medication.
- There is one South Carolina location for the study at the Institute for Translational Oncology Research in Greenville.
Although only one study is actively recruiting mesothelioma patients in South Carolina, two other studies are ongoing and may open up to new participants in the future.
Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Treating Patients With Rare Tumors
This is a phase II study of a combination of immunotherapy drugs.[7]
- The study is recruiting patients with rare cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma.
- No results from the study have been posted yet.
- This is a large study with nearly 1,000 locations across the country. Sites in South Carolina include Charleston, Clinton, Easley, Gaffney, Georgetown, Greenville, Greer, Seneca, Spartanburg, and Union.
Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of INCB099318 in Participants With Advanced Solid Tumors
This is a phase I study of a novel compound.[8]
- The study is in phase I and is testing the safety and dosing of a new compound for advanced tumors.
- Mesothelioma patients may qualify if they have never received immunotherapy but have been approved for it.
- One of the study locations is at Prisma Health Cancer Institute in Greenville.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is difficult to deal with, but when you get the right medical team, there is hope. Choose one of the treatment centers in South Carolina that has the experts you trust to provide the best care.
