Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the lining surrounding the lungs, heart, or abdomen, caused by asbestos exposure decades earlier. About 3,000 people are diagnosed in the US each year. Treatment typically combines surgery, chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation, but outcomes remain difficult and most people survive 12-21 months after diagnosis.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing immunotherapy combinations that harness the immune system against mesothelioma cells, targeted therapies aimed at specific mutations found in some tumors, and new chemotherapy regimens. Researchers are also studying tumor-treating fields (electrical therapy), gene therapy, and ways to improve surgical outcomes. Some trials focus on asbestos-related lung changes before cancer develops.
Immunotherapy combinations
Nivolumab plus ipilimumab (two checkpoint inhibitors) received FDA approval in 2020 for unresectable mesothelioma. Trials are now testing checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy, with vaccines, or with other immune drugs to see if combinations work better than single agents.
Targeted therapy
About 20-25% of mesotheliomas have BAP1 mutations, and smaller numbers have other actionable changes. Trials are testing drugs that target these specific mutations, which could offer treatment tailored to a tumor's genetics.
Tumor-treating fields
A wearable device delivers low-intensity electric fields to disrupt cancer cell division. FDA-approved for glioblastoma, it's now being studied in mesothelioma alongside chemotherapy to see if it extends survival.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on mesothelioma type (pleural, peritoneal, or other), whether the cancer can be surgically removed, prior treatments received, and performance status measuring how well you function day-to-day.
What types of trials are currently open
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors alone or combined with chemotherapy, other immune drugs, or vaccines. Most require measurable disease and no prior immunotherapy.
- Surgery trials — Comparing surgical approaches (lung-sparing surgery versus more extensive removal) and testing treatments given during or right after surgery.
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs matched to specific mutations in your tumor, usually requiring tumor tissue testing before enrollment.
- Chemotherapy trials — Testing new chemotherapy drugs or combinations, often for people whose cancer has grown after standard treatment.
- Device and radiation trials — Studying tumor-treating fields, new radiation techniques, or photodynamic therapy that activates light-sensitive drugs.
Recently added Mesothelioma trials
Take a new proteasome inhibitor drug for advanced solid tumors
This is a Phase 1, first-in-human (FIH), open-label, multicenter study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, PK, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of SHY-ONC6 in participants with advanced or metastatic solid tumors who have progressed on or are intolerant to standard therapies. The study will consist of 2 parts: a dose escalation part (Phase 1a) and a dose expansion part (Phase 1b).
Take an experimental cancer therapy in escalating doses
An open-label, multi-site, multi-cohort phase 1/2 trial to be conducted in 2 parts (dose escalation and dose expansion/optimisation)
Find Mesothelioma trials matched specifically to you
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll show you trials that fit your situation.