New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining around the lungs, heart, or abdomen, caused almost always by asbestos exposure decades earlier. About 3,000 people are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Standard treatment combines surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation when possible, but the disease often resists these approaches and median survival remains under two years for most patients.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing immunotherapy combinations that pair checkpoint inhibitors with other immune drugs, targeted therapies against specific mutations found in mesothelioma cells, and new chemotherapy regimens. Researchers are also studying CAR-T cell therapy adapted for solid tumors, tumor-treating fields that use electric currents to disrupt cancer growth, and ways to deliver treatment directly into the chest cavity.

What to know before you search

Eligibility typically depends on mesothelioma type (pleural, peritoneal, or other), disease stage, whether surgery is an option, and prior treatments received.

What types of trials are currently open

• Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors alone or combined with chemotherapy, other immune drugs, or targeted agents. Most focus on pleural mesothelioma but some include peritoneal disease.
• Surgery trials — Comparing different surgical approaches—removing the tumor lining versus removing the entire lung—often combined with chemotherapy or radiation.
• Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs aimed at specific mutations or proteins found in mesothelioma cells, sometimes requiring tumor genetic testing for eligibility.
• Cell therapy trials — Studies of CAR-T cells or other engineered immune cells designed to attack mesothelioma, delivered into the chest cavity or bloodstream.
• Device trials — Testing tumor-treating fields, a wearable device that sends electric currents through the chest to slow cancer growth.