Mesothelioma is a deadly form cancer developed through exposure to asbestos. Treatment for mesothelioma depends on various factors, such as where the cancer is located, the actual stage of the disease, the patients age, and the patients general health. Generally, mesothelioma treatment is considered to be very expensive. The most common and standard treatment types are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In a few cases all these treatment options are combined. There is no cure for mesothelioma, unless the affected part can be removed by an operation.

Surgery is a common treatment type for mesothelioma. It is used by removing the entire lining of the chest or the abdomen and a few of the surrounding tissues. In a few cases, a part of the diaphragm or the muscle below the lungs which helps in breathing is also removed. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill these malignant cancerous cells and it shrinks the tumors that are developed. Radiotherapy is used to affect the cancerous cells only in the treated area.

Chemotherapy is a kind of treatment which involves the use of anticancer drugs to kill the cancerous cells in the entire body. These drugs which are used as the treatment for mesothelioma are injected into the vein. Thoracentesis is the procedure used to remove the fluid from the chest. Paracentesis is the procedure which is used to remove the fluid from the abdominal region. Prevention from the accumulation of fluid in the chest can be done by giving the drugs through the tubes. Surgery and radiotherapy are used to relieve the symptoms in the treatment process.

Gene therapy is a new form of mesothelioma treatment which is a specially made genetic material is injected into the cancerous cells. The major process of this therapy is attacking the malignant cells in the affected area and it kills the cancer. Several medical scientists from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center say that the gene therapy is in its experimental stage and it would be treated as a major tool of mesothelioma in many cases. It has been used as a supplement to the surgery. The cost for the entire gene therapy would range from $150,000 to $950,000. Other major experimental treatments for mesothelioma are photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy, which are available at specific medical centers.