Mesothelioma research
Researchers are looking at the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of mesothelioma.
Go to Cancer Research UK’s clinical trials database if you are looking for a trial for mesothelioma in the UK. You need to talk to your specialist if there are any trials that you think you might be able to take part in.
When in the trials database, click on both the recruiting and closed tabs at the top of the page.
Some of the trials on this page have now stopped recruiting people. It takes time before the results are available. This is because the trial team follow the patients for a period of time and collect and analyse the results. We have included this ongoing research to give examples of the type of research being carried out in mesothelioma.
Research and clinical trials
All cancer treatments have to be fully researched before they can be used for everyone. This is so we can be sure that:
- they work
- they work better than the treatments already available
- they are known to be safe
Research into the causes of mesothelioma
Researchers want to learn more about how the immune system affects mesothelioma development. To do this, they are looking at samples of fluid drained from a build up of fluid in the chest (pleural effusion).
Another study is looking at how mesothelioma develops after exposure to asbestos. The researchers are collecting tissue and blood samples from people with non cancerous (benign) lung inflammation. They will then take further samples if someone develops mesothelioma. They want to find out how benign inflammation develops into mesothelioma after asbestos exposure.
Research into diagnosing mesothelioma
Clinical trials are looking at different ways to improve mesothelioma diagnosis.
Blood and lung fluid tests
Fluid can collect between the sheets of tissue (pleura) covering the lung and the chest cavity. This is called a pleural effusion. There are many different causes of pleural effusion, including infection, heart failure and cancer.
Doctors want to improve how they diagnose what is causing a pleural effusion. They are looking at blood and lung fluid tests. These tests might pick up types of cancer of the lung lining, including mesothelioma. This might mean that people need fewer tests and can have the correct treatment sooner.
Research into treatment for mesothelioma
Treatment for mesothelioma usually aims to control the disease and keep symptoms under control for as long as possible. It can be difficult to treat so doctors are always looking for better ways to treat it.
Surgery and chemotherapy
Doctors sometimes treat mesothelioma with chemotherapy combined with surgery. Researchers want to find out whether chemotherapy alone, or chemotherapy combined with surgery is better at treating mesothelioma.
Targeted cancer drugs and immunotherapy
Targeted cancer drugs work by ‘targeting’ those differences that help a cancer cell to grow and survive. Some seek out and destroy cancer cells. Others help the body's immune system to attack the cancer. So some of these drugs are also called immunotherapies.
Researchers are looking at these drugs on their own or with other treatments. They are also looking at different types of targeted drugs and immunotherapies for mesothelioma, including:
- nintedanib
- bevacizumab
- atezolizumab
- niraparib
- pembrolizumab
Researchers are also looking at substances (
) and in the mesothelioma cells. They want to find out why some targeted and immunotherapy drugs work, and why some drugs stop working.
Radiotherapy
Researchers are looking at radiotherapy to manage pain caused by mesothelioma. They are comparing the usual dose of radiotherapy with a higher dose. They want to find out if a higher dose of radiotherapy works better than the usual dose to treat pain. They also want to learn more about the side effects.
Another study is looking at radiotherapy combined with an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab. The researchers want to find out more about the side effects of this treatment combination. They also want to know how well it works for people with mesothelioma who aren't having surgery.
Other treatments
Researchers are looking at a new way to destroy mesothelioma cells. They have found that a new drug called ADI-PEG 20 is safe and helps people with mesothelioma in the chest (pleural mesothelioma). ADI-PEG 20 removes an amino acid called arginine which might stop cancer cells from growing.
They are doing another study to see how well ADI-PEG 20 combined with chemotherapy works for people with advanced mesothelioma.
Research into quality of life
Pleural mesothelioma can cause physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. Research shows that people with cancer can benefit from specialist palliative care support. And this increases quality of life.
However, a recent study found that referring people with mesothelioma early for support, didn't improve their quality of life. They did find that carers of those who saw the specialist palliative care team were more satisfied with the care their loved one received.
Another study’s main aim is to gather information about people with mesothelioma to improve their care and treatment. To do this they are collecting information about:
- people's quality of life
- symptoms
- blood samples
- tests they have had
