Montana mesothelioma treatment and doctors are limited in this sparsely populated state, but there are a few. Montana has three excellent cancer centers that can provide treatment and access to clinical trials for patients with most types of cancer.
Cancer Treatment Centers in Montana
Finding specialist care in Montana can be difficult, as the state has a small population spread out over a large area. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that requires a team of oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and other specialists to treat it. Montana is home to a handful of cancer centers that can offer this level of care.
Community Cancer Care and Prevention Center
Located in Missoula, this cancer center serves a community with a diverse range of cancer types. The facility works with patients in teams of experts, crafting treatment plans that work best for each individual. These teams offer cutting-edge treatments, including advanced radiation therapy and minimally invasive and robotic surgeries.[1]
Billings Clinic Cancer Center
This cancer center provides patients with a range of services, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, naturopathic and integrative medicine, and clinical trials.
The lung cancer department treats patients with pleural mesothelioma through multidisciplinary teams. This includes minimally invasive surgery and robotic surgical systems.[2]
Providence Montana Cancer Center
This cancer center is located at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula and includes a Thoracic Cancer Care department. Staffed by radiologists, medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, and others, this department can treat patients with pleural mesothelioma.[3]
Center for Asbestos Related Disease
Residents affected by the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby helped establish the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD). The nonprofit clinic provides free screenings for asbestos-related conditions in and around a town where thousands of people have been diagnosed.
The W.R. Grace mine was found to be contaminated with asbestos. For years, it exposed workers and residents to asbestos fibers. Some victims have sued BNSF Railway for its role in transporting the vermiculite. BNSF has fought back by suing CARD, claiming it has misdiagnosed people with asbestos diseases, inflating the number of people affected.
As a result of this lawsuit, CARD has closed, leaving many residents in this small town without easy access to care. CARD is largely funded by a federal grant, which is now frozen. It may or may not reopen.[4]
Cancer Centers in Neighboring States
Because mesothelioma treatment is so specialized, patients in Montana may travel out of state to larger cancer centers. Seattle is home to the Swedish Cancer Institute, a large cancer facility that draws patients from a wide area.
On staff is Dr. Eric Vallieres, a thoracic surgeon who specializes in pleural mesothelioma. He is one of the few surgeons performing extrapleural pneumonectomy, the most radical procedure for this cancer.[5]
The Huntsman Cancer Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City can treat pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients. Few facilities offer HIPEC, one of the most effective treatments for peritoneal mesothelioma, and it is available at Huntsman.[6]
Montana Clinical Trials Recruiting Mesothelioma Patients
If you are interested in trying a novel treatment not yet available to most people, talk to your medical team about clinical trials. These studies of new procedures, drugs, and therapies require patients to participate. There are risks and potential benefits, and you must meet specific requirements to enroll.
One clinical trial recruiting mesothelioma patients has a study location in Missoula. Testing the Addition of Immunotherapy Before Surgery for Patients With Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma needs patients with the most aggressive mesothelioma by cell type. Normally not resectable, this study is using immunotherapy and surgery in combination for sarcomatoid mesothelioma.[6]
The only other clinical trial with locations in Montana that is recruiting mesothelioma patients is the Integrated Cancer Repository for Cancer Research (iCaRe2). This is a multi-institutional effort to create and maintain biospecimens for research.
While the study does not offer treatment, participants actively contribute to the ongoing research of cancers like mesothelioma to help develop better treatments.[7]
Getting diagnosed with mesothelioma is difficult, so patients need the best cancer specialists in the state. Montana can provide some of these, but you may also want to travel out of state. Talk to your current doctor about where you can find the best care.
