Mining and natural asbestos deposits in Arizona, along with industrial workplaces, have contributed to thousands of related deaths in the state. Current patients living with mesothelioma have a few options for excellent treatment by specialists at major cancer centers in the state.
Cancer Centers for Mesothelioma Patients in Arizona
Mesothelioma patients in Arizona can find several treatment centers equipped to treat this difficult cancer. The state is home to one National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and several other excellent treatment facilities.
University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson
This cancer center received its first NCI grant in 1978 and is a center of excellence at the Arizona Health Sciences Center. It is known for rigorous cancer research focused on prevention and control, new therapeutics, cancer imaging, and cancer biology.[1]
Patients at the University of Arizona Cancer Center receive treatment from multidisciplinary teams of experts. These include oncologists and radiologists who specialize in thoracic and gastrointestinal cancers like pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Gilbert.
World-famous MD Anderson, an NCI-designated facility in Houston, opened a treatment center in Gilbert, Arizona, in 2011. Mesothelioma patients can now benefit from the treatment and research specialists from MD Anderson, right in the Phoenix area.[2]
As with the original location, this treatment center focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Not all cancer facilities are equipped to treat patients with mesothelioma. Still, with connections to the original location, this Banner Cancer Center can manage a mesothelioma diagnosis and provide access to the best treatments and latest research.[2]
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix
The Mayo Clinic is also an NCI-recognized cancer center with headquarters in Rochester, Minnesota. The world-renowned facility now has a location in Phoenix, where mesothelioma patients can benefit from the extensive research conducted by the Mayo Clinic.[3]
The Mayo Clinic has a strong focus on research, which benefits patients with difficult cancers like mesothelioma. Treatment here includes multidisciplinary teams, innovative treatments, and access to clinical trials.[3]
Physicians and Surgeons Treating Mesothelioma in Arizona
With so many top-notch cancer treatment centers in the state, finding a specialist to treat mesothelioma is not difficult. Arizona residents do not need to travel far to find an oncologist or surgeon who can provide excellent pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma care.
Nabil Wasif, M.D.
Dr. Wasif is a surgical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. He specializes in treating several cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma. He is trained in conducting cytoreductive surgery followed by HIPEC, a specialized and sometimes curative treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma.[4]
Linda L. Garland, M.D.
Dr. Garland is a medical oncologist specializing in thoracic cancers like pleural mesothelioma. She directs the Clinical Lung Cancer Program and Clinical Research in Thoracic Oncology at the University of Arizona. She researches experimental therapeutics for treating difficult cancers, including advanced-stage mesothelioma.[5]
Elbert Kuo, M.D.
A thoracic surgeon at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Dr. Kuo specializes in minimally invasive surgeries for cancers of the chest cavity. This includes treatment for pleural effusions, pleural mesothelioma, and lung cancer.[6]
Carrie Luu, M.D., FACS
Dr. Carrie Luu is a surgical oncologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Cancer Center. She performs cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.[7]
Epameinondas Dogeas, M.D.
Dr. Dogeas is a surgical oncologist at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix. He specializes in cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC to treat peritoneal mesothelioma.[8]
Jonathan D’Cunha, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. D’Cunha is a cardiothoracic surgeon. He specializes in the surgical management of pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other thoracic cancers at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.[9]
Rajesh Ramanathan, M.D.
Dr. Ramanathan is a surgical oncologist at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert. He specializes in gastrointestinal and abdominal cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma.[10]
Vinicius Ernani, M.D.
Dr. Ermani is a thoracic medical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. His specialties include treating pleural mesothelioma, developing novel treatments, and co-chairing clinical trials.[11]
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials in Arizona
A clinical trial may present an opportunity for a mesothelioma patient to access an innovative treatment. These studies investigate the effectiveness of new treatment protocols, drugs, and procedures that are not yet approved. In Arizona, there are four studies now recruiting patients with mesothelioma:
- Testing the Addition of Immunotherapy Before Surgery for Patients With Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma. This is a phase II trial recruiting qualifying pleural mesothelioma patients. It is testing the safety and effectiveness of approved immunotherapy drugs given before surgery.[12]
- Phase 1 Study of INBRX-109 in Subjects With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors Including Sarcomas. This phase I trial needs patients with pleural mesothelioma to test a new immunotherapy. The Arizona location is at HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale.[13]
- MEDI5752 in Combination With Carboplatin Plus Pemetrexed in Unresectable Pleural Mesothelioma (eVOLVE-Meso). This is a phase III study of a new drug (Volrustomic) combined with standard chemotherapy and, in some patients, with immunotherapy.[14]
- Study of IDE397 in Participants with Solid Tumors Harboring MTAP Deletion. This study is for patients with advanced solid tumors not responding to standard treatments.[15]
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in Arizona, don’t settle for anything but the best treatment. Choose specialty cancer centers in the state for expert care, multidisciplinary treatment, and excellent support services.
