Michigan Mesothelioma Treatment and Doctors
Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster This page has been fact checked by an experienced mesothelioma Patient Advocate. Sources of information are listed at the bottom of the article.
We make every attempt to keep our information accurate and up-to-date.
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Mesothelioma is a difficult diagnosis that requires expert treatment. Michigan mesothelioma treatment and doctors are top-notch at several centers in the Detroit area. Contact these specialists and nationally-recognized cancer centers for the best diagnosis, treatment, and care.
Michigan Cancer Centers
Michigan is home to some of the best cancer centers in the country, including two recognized as Comprehensive Cancer Centers by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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Van Elsander Cancer Center
Located in Grosse Pointe Woods, this is a leading cancer center in the area and a part of the Ascension Health Care System. The staff includes specialists in thoracic oncology and surgery who can treat pleural mesothelioma. It also includes specialists providing HIPEC, an innovative treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma. Van Elsander became the first hospital in Michigan to offer HIPEC.[1]
Patients at Van Elsander benefit from teams of specialists in different areas of cancer treatment and management. Collaboration and cutting-edge technologies provide the best medical care, but the facility also offers a number of alternative therapies and supportive services: massage, yoga, hypnotherapy, and spiritual care.
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
This is an NCI-designated cancer center in Detroit recognized for excellent patient care as well as leading research. The Karmanos Institute’s Thoracic Oncology program provides care for pleural mesothelioma. The collaborative department includes oncologists, surgeons, pathologist, pulmonologists, radiation oncologists, and other specialists.[2]
Mesothelioma patients here benefit from the specialized team, but also leading technologies. These include advanced radiation therapies. The department also participates in and leads clinical trials, giving patients access to new treatments and therapies.
Rogel Cancer Center
Located at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Rogel is an NCI-designated facility that leads the way in patient care and cancer research. Rogel can treat pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. This is one of limited facilities in the U.S. that can treat peritoneal mesothelioma with surgery and HIPEC, one of the most effective treatments for this type of cancer.[3]
The Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Clinic provides care for patients with pleural mesothelioma. Some of the advanced treatment technologies available here include video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries, complex lung resections, indwelling pleural drainage catheters, and photodynamic therapy.
Mesothelioma Specialists in Michigan
Thoracic and gastrointestinal oncologists and surgeons are qualified to treat mesothelioma, but few are truly specialists in mesothelioma. Michigan’s treatment centers are home to these types of physicians, including some who have studied and have experience in treating mesothelioma.
Richard Berri, M.D.
Dr. Berri is the Director of Surgical Oncology and Peritoneal Malignancies Program at Van Elsander. He also leads the HIPEC program, offering peritoneal mesothelioma patients this effective treatment not available everywhere. He and his team have performed over 300 of these procedures already.[4]
Hirva Mamdani, M.D.
A medical oncologist, Dr. Mamdani specializes in thoracic oncology, including the medical treatment of pleural mesothelioma. She treats patients at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit as part of the multidisciplinary team of experts and specialists.[5]
Eliot Wakeam, M.D.
Dr. Wakeam is a thoracic surgeon and assistant professor of thoracic surgery at the University of Michigan. He specializes in pleural mesothelioma and is in the process of bringing the SMART protocol to mesothelioma patients in Michigan.[6]
SMART uses surgical procedures to remove cancerous tissue and follows it with radiation therapy, a protocol that researchers have found effective in many patients.
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
A clinical trial is an advanced study of a new therapy, drug, or procedure that involves human participants. For mesothelioma patients, these trials offer the opportunity to benefit from innovative treatments not yet widely available. In Michigan, there are currently several trials recruiting mesothelioma patients:[7]
- Phase II Nivolumab and Ramucirumab for Patients With Previously-Treated Mesothelioma. Patients may be eligible to enroll in this trial ongoing at Karmanos in Detroit. Researchers need participants with mesothelioma who have already undergone some treatment to try a combination of immunotherapy drugs.
- Ph 2/3 Study in Subjects With MPM to Assess ADI-PEG 20 With Pemetrexed and Cisplatin. In this trial, patients with pleural mesothelioma will receive a therapeutic and novel enzyme in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs.
- A Two-part Study to Characterize Drug-Drug Interaction Effects on Steady-State Pharmacokinetics of Oral Tazemetostat. This study is recruiting patients to participate in Grand Rapids, on the western side of the state. Researchers are looking at a new, innovative drug and how it may be effective in treating several types of cancer.
- Phase 1 Study of INBRX-109 in Subjects With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors Including Sarcomas. This phase I trial needs patients with advanced or metastatic mesothelioma to try a novel immunotherapy drug. It targets the human death receptor to initiate cell death in cancer cells.
- Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Treating Patients With Rare Tumors. This is a large study with nearly 1,000 locations. Researchers need patients with a wide rage of cancers to test a combination of immunotherapy drugs.
- A Study of XmAb®20717 in Subjects With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors. Located at Karmanos, this trial is in the early stages and is testing the effectiveness and safety of a novel immunotherapy drug.
If you live in Michigan and have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, excellent care is right in your state. Find a specialist and the right multidisciplinary team at these expert facilities to give you the best options for effective treatments.
Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster
Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.