In a small state like Rhode Island, mesothelioma treatment and doctors can be hard to find. Fortunately for residents with this type of cancer, there is one major treatment center in the state. Patients can also travel a short distance to Boston for world-class cancer care and to see mesothelioma specialists.
Cancer Centers for Rhode Island Mesothelioma Patients
Rhode Island is a small state with limited specialty care for mesothelioma patients. There are no cancer centers recognized by the National Cancer Institute, but the state’s largest and most comprehensive cancer care facility can treat mesothelioma patients.
Lifespan Cancer Institute
Lifespan has cancer center locations in Providence, Lincoln, and East Greenwich. It offers more options for cancer patients than any other facility in the state. If you have a mesothelioma diagnosis, there are several reasons to get care at Lifespan:[1]
- Many different cancer specialists work together on multidisciplinary teams to develop individualized treatment plans that best meet each patient’s needs.
- Lifespan offers precision treatment, the most targeted and individualized way to treat patients. Treatment teams consider a patient’s genetics and other factors and use targeted therapies and immunotherapy to create more effective treatments.
- Clinical trials at Lifespan offer patients the chance to try new therapies and procedures.
- The Thoracic Multidisciplinary Clinic is equipped to treat pleural mesothelioma patients with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, pulmonary care, critical care, and immunotherapy.
- Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma can receive HIPEC here. Preceded by cytoreductive surgery, this is a unique and more effective kind of chemotherapy.
- Support services benefit patients as well and include social work, psychiatric care, palliative care, nutrition counseling, and complementary and alternative therapies.
Cancer Treatment in Neighboring States
Boston is just a short drive away, and many Rhode Island patients choose to travel there for more treatment options. The Boston area is home to two world-class cancer centers, both offering mesothelioma care. The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center is a multi-center facility with the ability to treat patients with mesothelioma.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is home to the International Mesothelioma Program. This program brings together mesothelioma specialists, oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and other professionals to treat mesothelioma.
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Physicians and Specialists
Boston’s cancer centers have some of the most dedicated mesothelioma specialists in the country. Several physicians in Rhode Island have experience treating mesothelioma patients.
Christopher G. Azzoli, M.D.
Dr. Azzoli is the Director of Thoracic Oncology at Lifespan. He specializes in the medical treatment of thoracic cancers, including pleural mesothelioma. With a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, Dr. Azzoli has the training and experience to help patients with this rare cancer.[2]
Thomas J. Miner, M.D.
As the Chief of Surgical Oncology at Lifespan, Dr. Miner plays a key role in treating patients with mesothelioma. His specialty is gastrointestinal cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma. At Lifespan, he provides patients with cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC.[3]
Jack Elias, M.D.
Dr. Elias is the senior vice president for health affairs at Brown University. His work and research help focus on patients with lung diseases, including lung cancer. He is also actively expanding research and training the next generation of physicians and researchers.[4]
Steve Sung Kwon, M.D.
Dr. Sung Kwon is a surgical oncologist and researcher specializing in gastrointestinal cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma. He performs cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC. His research focuses on using databases to help screen more patients and improve access to care.[5]
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are studies of the effectiveness and safety of novel treatments, many of which provide mesothelioma patients with much-needed hope. Unfortunately, there are no ongoing trials in Rhode Island recruiting participants with mesothelioma.
If you are interested in benefiting from a clinical trial, talk to your medical team about studies you may join. There is just one clinical trial with a Rhode Island location recruiting mesothelioma patients, but there are more available in nearby Boston:
- Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Participants With Advanced Solid Tumors (MK-3475-158/KEYNOTE-158). This needs patients with mesothelioma to test an immunotherapy drug.[6]
- Pharmacokinetic Study of Lurbinectedin in Combination With Irinotecan in Patients With Selected Solid Tumors. This phase I and II study needs patients with certain types of cancer, including mesothelioma, to determine and response rate dosing for a new drug along with another chemotherapy drug.[7]
- NM32-2668 in Adult Patients With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors. This is a first-in-human trial of a new drug called NM32-2668. It is recruiting patients with various types of solid tumors, including mesothelioma, with a study location at Lifespan Cancer Institute in Providence.[8]
If you live in Rhode Island and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, treatment is close at hand. Enjoy excellent treatment right in the state, or travel a short distance to Boston to see the specialists who can provide the most comprehensive care.
