Along with traditional treatment methods, such as surgery and chemotherapy, several experimental methods exist for mesothelioma patients. For example, the drug Alimta, combined with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, shrinks mesothelioma at a much higher rate than either drug alone.

Another form of a experimental mesothelioma treatment, photodynamic therapy aims to kill cancerous cells by targeting them with light. In this method, the patient takes a special drug that makes the cells sensitive to the light of a specific wavelength. Then, the cancerous cells are subjected to a light through fiber optic cables that are placed in the body.

Gene therapy is another new treatment method that is used in some mesothelioma clinical trials. This experimental method kills cancerous cells without harming the healthy ones, which is a common problem with chemotherapy. Gene therapy targets specific genes that control the growth of the tumor.

Another experimental treatment combines heat with chemotherapy. This method aims to kill the cancer cells that chemotherapy could not destroy. Studies have shown that combining heat with chemotherapy can prolong life for mesothelioma patients.

Other forms of experimental mesothelioma treatments include:

• Immunotherapy
• Multimodality therapy
• Intracavitary Chemotherapy
• Alternative Medicine