Rhode Island Mesothelioma Treatment and Doctors
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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 very 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 of which offer 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. It brings together mesothelioma specialists, oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and other professionals specifically for mesothelioma treatment.
Rhode Island Mesothelioma Physicians and Specialists
Boston’s cancer centers have some of the most dedicated mesothelioma specialists in the country. There are also several physicians in Rhode Island with 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]
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. In nearby Boston, a few trials are recruiting mesothelioma patients right now:
- Pembrolizumab With or Without Anetumab Ravtansine in Treating Patients With Mesothelin-Positive Pleural Mesothelioma. If you have pleural mesothelioma, you may qualify for this study of immunotherapy drugs alone and in combination.[4]
- Pleurectomy/Decortication (Neo) Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy to the Pleura in Patients With Locally Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Patients with pleural mesothelioma that has spread but still resectable will receive surgery along with chemotherapy and a targeted radiation therapy.[5]
- 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]
If you live in Rhode Island and received a mesothelioma diagnosis, 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.
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.