Pennsylvania 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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Pennsylvania mesothelioma treatment and doctors are plentiful, with opportunities for patients to receive excellent care in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. If you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, find specialists at one of these cancer centers.
Pennsylvania Cancer Centers
Patients in Pennsylvania with mesothelioma may be facing a difficult journey, but they also have great options for treatment close to home. Four treatment facilities excel in patient care and cancer research. All have been designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers by the National Cancer Institute.
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Hillman Cancer Center
The Hillman Cancer Center is housed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers and is home to specialists in peritoneal mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma patients also receive excellent care here. The surgical oncology department specifically treats peritoneal mesothelioma, offering HIPEC, and working with other departments for comprehensive care.[1]
HIPEC is an innovative type of chemotherapy for abdominal cancers that involves perfusion of the drugs directly in the abdominal cavity. Hillman is unique in also offering HIPEC to patients with pleural cancers. The lung cancer department can coordinate this treatment for pleural mesothelioma patients, along with chemotherapy, radiation, and other supportive services.[1]
Abramson Cancer Center
A part of Penn Medicine, the Abramson Cancer Center is located in Philadelphia. The Cancer Center’s Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program is dedicated to helping patients with this rare disease. A multidisciplinary team of experts, the program includes surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and pulmonary specialists.[2]
Treatment for pleural mesothelioma here includes a combination of strategies: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy. Patients also benefit from the clinical trials conducted here as well as support services like counseling, home care, patient education, pain management, palliative care, nutritional counseling, and support groups.[2]
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Fox Chase is a part of Temple Health in Philadelphia. It includes a mesothelioma team that can treat patients with both the pleural and peritoneal forms. They use a multidisciplinary approach to creating individualized treatment plans that may consist of HIPEC for peritoneal patients. Clinical trials provide access to novel treatments.[3]
Several specialists in mesothelioma work on the Fox Chase team. In addition to these surgeons and oncologists, patients benefit from integrative care, nurse navigators, pastoral care, social work, support groups, nutrition counseling, and stress management.[3]
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson University Hospitals in Pennsylvania is a top-notch cancer treatment facility in the region. Treatment here is focused on a team approach, with experts from all areas of cancer care coming together to make plans for each patient.[4]
Mesothelioma patients may receive care through the Lung Cancer Program, the Infusion Center, the Palliative Care Service, and Rehabilitation Medicine. The Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute helps patients with all types of lung and thoracic cancers.[4]
Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Specialists
With so many world-class cancer centers in the state, finding a specialist to work with is not difficult. Mesothelioma patients have multiple options.
David Bartlett, M.D.
Dr. Bartlett heads up the surgical oncology department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical College. He focuses on abdominal cancers like peritoneal mesothelioma and was instrumental in developing HIPEC. This type of perfusion chemotherapy is an effective treatment against this type of cancer and few experts in the country can perform it.[5]
James F. Pingpank Jr., M.D.
Dr. Pingpank works with Dr. Bartlett at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a surgical oncologist trained in cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. In his research, he has shown that this therapy helps extend patients’ lives.[6]
Sunil Singhal, M.D.
Dr. Singhal is a thoracic surgeon at Abramson Cancer Center who specializes in treating several cancers, including pleural mesothelioma. He is the Director of the Center for Precision Surgery and leads translational research. He is a part of the Cancer Center’s Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program.[7]
Hossein Borghaei, D.O.
Dr. Borghaei hades the Division of Thoracic Medical Oncology at Fox Chase and leads the team of experts treating pleural mesothelioma patients. He is also a part of the research team improving treatments for mesothelioma patients.[8]
Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma Patients in Pennsylvania
All of Pennsylvania’s top cancer centers conduct clinical trials, studies of novel treatments and procedures. With a diagnosis of mesothelioma, you may be interested in participating in a trial in order to access a new treatment.
There are risks and benefits and you must qualify to enroll. Talk to your medical team about any opportunities. Right now, there are several clinical trials in the state enrolling mesothelioma patients:[9]
- CAR T Cells in Mesothelin Expressing Cancers. In this study, researchers need participants with cancers like mesothelioma to test an innovative immunotherapy strategy that involves altering patient’s T-cells.
- Adoptive Transfer of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Advanced Solid Cancers. Mesothelioma patients may qualify for this trial involving a new biological immunotherapy.
- Efficacy & Safety of rAd-IFN Administered With Celecoxib & Gemcitabine in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma patients can enroll in this study to test the combination of a new immunotherapy drug with chemotherapy.
- Pembrolizumab With or Without Anetumab Ravtansine in Treating Patients With Mesothelin-Positive Pleural Mesothelioma. This trial of immunotherapy drugs, alone and in combination, is limited to pleural mesothelioma patients with a certain biomarker.
- Phase 1/2 Trial of TC-210 T Cells in Patients With Advanced Mesothelin-Expressing Cancer. Researchers are genetically engineering patient T-cells in this study to battle certain cancers.
- A Study of XmAb®20717 in Subjects With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors. This is a study of a new immunotherapy drug for mesothelioma and other advanced cancers.
- Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Treating Patients With Rare Tumors. This study needs peritoneal mesothelioma patients to participate in a trial of two immunotherapy drugs.
If you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, you can benefit from treatment in Pennsylvania’s leading cancer centers. Some of the best specialists in the country are in the state, providing patients with this terrible disease new hope.
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.