Mesothelioma Treatment Centers

Located throughout the United States are medical centers that specialize in the treatment of mesothelioma. In the case of rare cancers such as mesothelioma patients can benefit from the researchers and medical staff that have chosen to devote their practice to specific types of cancers and treatments. By compiling people dedicated to a specific field of study, these cancer centers can develop cutting-edge treatments and therapy, as well as provide patients with a network of support systems for both them and their loved ones.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer with no known cure. Due to its long latency periods and rapid advancement into the later stages, mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to diagnose and treat. Facilities around the nation have assembled specialized staff, dedicating time and energy into obtaining the newest equipment and techniques associated with mesothelioma.

Top-Ranked Treatment Centers

The following is a list of hospitals, treatment, and research centers dedicated to cancer treatment and research specifically. This list was originally compiled in the current U.S. News and World Report’s Top Ranked Hospitals for Cancer. This list is not exhaustive, but does contain the top ten centers, as well as their contact information:
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (1)
1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Box 91
Houston, TX 77030-4095
(713) 792–2121
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (2)
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(212) 639–2000
Johns Hopkins Hospitals (3)
600 North Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287-2182
(410) 955–5000
Mayo Clinic (4)
200 S.W. First Street
Rochester, MN 55905-0002
(507) 284–2511
Dana Farber Cancer Center/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (5)
44 Binney Street
Boston, MA 02115-6084
(617) 632–3000
University of Washington Medical Center (6)
1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356151
Seattle, WA 98195-6151
(206) 598–3300
Massachusetts General Hospital (7)
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114-2696
(617) 726–2000
University of California-San Francisco Medical Center (8)
500 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94143-0296
(415) 476–1000
The Cleveland Clinic (9)
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195-5108
(216) 444–2200
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (10)
757 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095-8358
(310) 825–9111

Mesothelioma Specialists

Mesothelioma patients are likely to encounter a variety of specialists during their diagnostic and treatment processes. Treatment centers employ a diversity of doctors and medical experts, such as:

• Oncologists
• Physicians
• Palliative care providers
• Nurses
• Psychologists
• Counselors
• Pulmonary therapists
• Medical oncologist
• Surgical oncologist

By having so many professionals working together, these treatment centers can provide patients with comprehensive care; an important factor considering that patients who live in smaller towns or rural areas may have traveled a great distance to visit these centers. A variety of staff also ensures that patients will have access to both traditional and experimental methods, allowing their treatment plan to be highly specialized, depending on their type and stage of mesothelioma.

Treatments

Physicians at treatment centers like the ones listed above are dedicated to research efforts as well as general care and cancer treatment. Often times these medical experts are attempting to find a cure for mesothelioma, as well as improve palliative care options that enhance the patient’s quality of life. Most professionals agree that a multimodal approach to treatment is the preferred option for treating mesothelioma. Multimodal approach simply means that instead of one course of action, several methods are used in conjunction with one another. For example a mesothelioma patient may undergo surgery to remove the malignancy and then either chemotherapy or radiation therapy to attack malignancies that were too small for surgery or otherwise inoperable.
These centers may also have programs focusing on experimental treatments such as ozone therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy, or even the option of participating in clinical trials. Clinical trials are a means of trying out experimental medications and treatment methods that are not available to the general population. Past clinical trials have been instrumental in developing treatments and regimens for mesothelioma patients, often extending their prognosis and subsequent survival rate.
Cancer treatment centers such as the ones listed provide the specialty care mesothelioma patients and other cancer patients alike deserve. They are the center of ongoing research and provide the hope that one day mesothelioma will no longer be an incurable disease.
Reference:
U.S. News and World Report
American Cancer Society
Mayo Clinic