Choosing the Right Mesothelioma Treatment Center

Receiving your mesothelioma diagnosis probably left you and your loved ones in a state of shock and feeling overwhelmed. Not only that, but you now have so many unanswered questions. Without doubt, one of your first questions is how to choose the best mesothelioma treatment center for you. A big part of answering this question is related to affordability.

The good news is there are many fine mesothelioma treatment centers located in nearly all regions of the country. Some of them are dedicated to treating specific types of mesothelioma.

There are also a number of financial options for assistance in covering the costs of those treatments. Here are some of the options for receiving mesothelioma treatment and suggestions for shouldering the financial burden.

What Are My Treatment Options for Mesothelioma?

 Your mesothelioma treatment options and prognosis depend on a number of factors, including: ⁽¹⁾

• Age.
• Amount of fluid in chest or abdomen.
• Likelihood of surgical success (complete removal of tumor).
• Overall physical condition, including activity level.
• Recently diagnosed or recurrence.
• Sex.
• Size of tumor.
• Stage of cancer.
• Type of mesothelioma cells and appearance under a microscope.
• White cell count and hemoglobin levels in blood.

Once all of these factors have been evaluated, your doctor can discuss your treatment options with you.

There are a number of treatment options available to you: ⁽²⁾

• Chemotherapy: using drugs to kill cancer cells or prevent them from dividing.
• Immunotherapy: using drugs that prompt your own immune system to fight the cancer.
• Radiation: using “high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells.”
• Surgery: removing tumors, cancer cells, and some healthy tissue surrounding them.
• Targeted therapy: using “drugs or other substances” that “attack specific cancer cells.”

In selecting the best mesothelioma treatment options for you, consider what type of mesothelioma you have, what stage your cancer is in, your overall health, your prognosis, and your own personal goals. As a patient, you have the final say in what treatments you undergo.

How Do I Choose the Right Mesothelioma Center?

There are many mesothelioma treatment centers around the country. These centers focus exclusively on treating mesothelioma patients. This is often accomplished with teams of doctors, nurses, and technicians who specialize in different aspects of the disease. They have years of experience in their specialty and may be involved in the latest research.

Your first step in finding the right one for you is to ask your doctor for recommendations. Be sure to ask your physician for at least two or three recommendations, advises the American Cancer Society. ⁽³⁾

Unbreakable Journeys can help you locate mesothelioma treatment centers by state ⁽⁴⁾

Additionally, the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) offers a map showing academic and National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer centers across the U.S. ⁽⁵⁾

The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) offers a searchable directory of 700 cancer program members by state. ⁽⁶⁾

What to Look for When Choosing a Mesothelioma Center

Because mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, not all doctors or hospitals are staffed and equipped to treat it effectively. A specialized treatment center should have the technology and staff to focus on mesothelioma patients and their needs. Doctors, nurses, and technicians work as teams to treat each patient individually.

Factors to look for when choosing your mesothelioma treatment center include: ⁽⁷⁾

Accreditation

Check the center’s accreditation. It should meet recognized quality standards in providing safe and patient-centered care.

You can check hospitals and health care centers overall quality through the:

• Joint Commission database of accredited centers.
• American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
• American Society for Clinical Oncology certification program.

Financial Considerations

Mesothelioma treatments are expensive. To reduce costs where possible, select a treatment center covered by your insurance. Be sure you understand what your plan does and does not cover. This includes facility fees and doctor fees.

Also, take advantage of any financial support or guidance offered through the cancer center itself. Explore available financial hardship and government benefit programs. Consider participating in clinical trials that you qualify for.

Remember to investigate your legal options for filing a mesothelioma claim. You may choose to file a lawsuit. Many companies who have gone bankrupt established trust funds to pay mesothelioma claims. An experienced attorney, like those at Weitz & Luxenberg, can assist you with making the decision to file a lawsuit and related trust fund claims.

Location and Travel

Think about how close and accessible the treatment center is to where you live. Traveling short distances for treatments may be feasible. But if you need to travel long distances, it could be a problem.

Larger treatment centers may have multiple locations. Ask if one is closer to you. Don’t forget to consider you may need to be hospitalized for specific treatments.

Multidisciplinary Care

The center should offer a team of doctors who personalize your treatment plan. These medical teams should be made up of specialists from multiple disciplines, such as surgery and oncology. ⁽⁸⁾

Research & Expertise

It can be important that the treatment center is involved in cutting-edge research, but it may be more important that your doctor is involved in medical research. Many experts in their fields participate in research projects. This helps to sharpen their skills, enhance expertise, and advance medical knowledge. All of this could benefit you in your treatments. ⁽⁹⁾

Specialized Programs

Specialized programs in mesothelioma care have the advantage of personalized treatment plans. They may provide better outcomes — especially increased survival rates. These programs benefit from the latest technologies and drug therapies to improve quality of life. ⁽¹⁰⁾

Support Services

Treatment centers may offer additional services to help support patients and your families on your mesothelioma journey. These can be crucial in improving your quality of life, providing emotional or coping strategies, and helping you manage your condition.

Services to check for might include counseling and support groups for both patients and family/caregivers, palliative care (management of pain and fatigue, or improving quality of life), and advocacy (guidance on financial challenges, details on treatment, information on available resources, and other practical matters). ⁽¹¹⁾

Treatment Options & Clinical Trials

Look for a center that offers all of the services you need and has experience in treating your type of mesothelioma. It can be especially valuable if a center participates in clinical trials. Additionally, check to see if the center offers more than one type of treatment, who is on your treatment team, and the specialists involved in your care. ⁽¹²⁾

Also, you need to find out if the center offers radiation therapy or surgery on site. Radiology and lab services available on site can be important. So are support services, like counselors, patient advocates or navigators, social workers, and dieticians. ⁽¹³⁾

Type of Mesothelioma

Choose a center that has experience in treating people with your type of mesothelioma. Treatments may vary depending where your cancer is located in your body. If it’s pleural, it’s in tissue lining your chest cavity and lungs. In your abdominal area, it’s peritoneal. If tissue surrounding your heart is affected, it’s pericardial. Mesothelioma may even be in your testicles, although this is rare. ⁽¹⁴⁾

Veteran Programs

If you are a veteran, you should contact the Veterans Administration (VA) about any possible asbestos exposure. If your mesothelioma diagnosis is due to exposure to asbestos during your time of service, you may be eligible for benefits. These benefits can help cover medical costs and may even provide monthly income. ⁽¹⁵⁾

Where Are the Best Mesothelioma Treatment Centers?

Two of the best ways to help determine the best mesothelioma treatment centers for you are by region and by the type you have.

Treatment Centers by Region

These are some of the best mesothelioma treatment centers by region.

Northeast

• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — This medical center has an individual patient centered treatment approach. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these approaches. Specialists meet daily and work in collaboration to succeed. ⁽¹⁶⁾
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — MSK has a multiple experts and team approach that meet every other week. Available treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy drugs, “cutting-edge radiation techniques,” and surgery. ⁽¹⁷⁾
• Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center — Mt. Sinai offers multidisciplinary care and a holistic approach. Surgery, radiation, molecular targeting therapies, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are available. ⁽¹⁸⁾
• NYU Langone — There is a personalized treatment plan for each patient from expert teams. Use of robotic surgery along with minimally invasive surgical techniques, radiation, and immunotherapy are some of the treatment options available. ⁽¹⁹⁾
• UPMC Hillman Cancer Center — Expert care teams employ surgery, chemotherapy or other oncology therapy and radiation. They also use hyperthermic chemoperfusion (HIPEC), where concentrated heated chemotherapy is applied directly into tumors. ⁽²⁰⁾

Midwest

• Cleveland Clinic — The clinic uses treatment teams. It offers customized treatment plans. Treatments available are surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy , and chemotherapy drugs. This includes hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), using heated chemo. ⁽²¹⁾
• Mayo Clinic — The clinic uses a collaborative care team approach. Treatment options available include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and access to clinical trials. ⁽²²⁾
• University of Chicago Medicine — An expert team approach is used. Treatment options are normally a combination of varying treatments. Options include surgery, radiation therapy, HIPEC and intravenous systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and access to clinical trials. ⁽²³⁾

South

• MD Anderson Center — Teams of doctors with special expertise provide chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and clinical trials. ⁽²⁴⁾
• Moffitt Cancer Center — This center has multispecialty teams that use treatment options such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and HIPEC. There are also clinical trials. ⁽²⁵⁾
• Wake Forest Baptist — Teams of expert specialists use “consensus treatment planning” to treat patients. Treatments available include surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and HIPEC, genomic sequencing for precision medicine, and clinical trials. ^{(26) (27)}

West Coast

• Stanford Cancer Institute — Multidisciplinary teams evaluate patients to provide personalized care plans using state-of-the-art technology. Stanford’s preferred treatment plans call for “a surgery-based multimodality treatment approach” whenever possible. Clinical trials are also an option. ⁽²⁸⁾
• UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center — Multidisciplinary care is provided by teams that meet weekly to personalize treatment plans for each patient. Options for treatment include lung-sparing surgery, targeted chest radiation, low-toxicity immunotherapy, chemotherapy, biologic therapy, cryoablation to freeze cancer cells. Tumor Treating Fields (Optune Lua) are wearable devices that slow tumor growth. There are also clinical trials. ⁽²⁹⁾

Treatment Centers by Cancer Type

These are some of the best mesothelioma treatment centers by cancer type.

Pleural Mesothelioma

• Brigham and Women’s Hospital — A team approach is used to tailor therapy for each patient. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and combined approaches. Clinical trials may be available. ⁽³⁰⁾
• MD Anderson.
• UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

• Moffit Cancer Center.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
• University of Chicago Medicine.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

• Mayo Clinic.
• Cleveland Clinic.

Testicular Mesothelioma

• MD Anderson.
• Mayo Clinic.

How Can I Afford Mesothelioma Treatment and Travel?

Facing the high costs of mesothelioma treatments can be staggering. However, there are options to help cover those costs. These options range from private insurance to financial assistance, sometimes in the form of grants, specific services, or clinical trials.

For example, the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Hope Lodge program provides lodging when treatments are far away. Their Road To Recovery program helps with transportation costs to and from treatments. ^{(31) (32)}

Visit the ACS website for more resources and programs to help with expenses due to your cancer. ⁽³³⁾

Many mesothelioma treatment centers offer assistance navigating the range of financial options available, and you should take advantage of this service. These centers may be able to advise you on how to cover hidden costs such as medications, transportation, living expenses, loss of income, home care, and even financial planning.

Also, there are some government programs available. For example, veterans should check with the VA regarding benefits and healthcare for mesothelioma related to your time of service. ⁽³⁴⁾

If you have private insurance, you need to understand your policy. Policies differ. Most cover some or all of traditional mesothelioma treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But they may not cover newer, cutting-edge treatments. If you have private health insurance, check the details of your policy such as treatments covered, limits on coverage, and exclusions.

Finally, you need to consider your legal options. Options include making claims to trust funds that were established to pay claims against now defunct companies. To file these claims and a lawsuit to get any compensation you deserve, you should hire an asbestos attorney.

How Can Weitz & Luxenberg Help Ease the Financial Burden?

There are several ways that the lawyers at Weitz & Luxenberg can help you get money to help you if you are suffering due to asbestos exposure. The companies that were negligent need to pay for what they did.

Weitz & Luxenberg can address your mesothelioma financial burden by filing claims with trust funds on your behalf. Once these claims are processed, the money can be distributed, without needing to go to trial. Trust fund distributions can be significant.

We can also file a lawsuit against companies responsible for manufacture, distribution, or sale of asbestos products that contributed to your exposure and later disease. A mesothelioma lawsuit can be resolved in one of two ways, through a trial verdict in court or by a settlement. The majority of mesothelioma cases are resolved through settlement.

Over nearly 40 years, W&L has built a reputation for toughness, tenacity, and know-how at the negotiating table. Our firm has a solid record of success in securing just settlements for our clients. Additionally, W&L is an acknowledged leader in managing mesothelioma legal cases.

Once you receive settlement proposals, our attorneys help you understand the offers and provide clear and concise recommendations. You then make an informed choice to accept or reject them.

Record of Trial Wins

If your case does go to trial, our firm represent you. W&L is well known for our winning trial record. Read more about our successful mesothelioma cases.

Two examples of our trial wins include:

• Breaking our own record in asbestos verdicts with a $117 million trial win for a 75-year-old man and his wife who suffered tremendously after his mesothelioma diagnosis.
• Securing a $16.7 million win for the asbestos exposure of a doctor and his wife through lab equipment.

Weitz & Luxenberg Helps Our Clients Find the Best Options

Scientific research has shown “mesothelioma incidence increases markedly with age.” ⁽³⁵⁾ With a mesothelioma diagnosis, your situation is urgent and only get more so as time passes.

The burden of a catastrophic illness is immense. You should not wait to contact a qualified attorney. W&L attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients find the best options for them and their families.

Relief from the stresses of the overwhelming financial burden can begin as you explore your legal options with our experienced attorneys. W&L lawyers are caring compassionate men and women who can fight your legal battle while you focus on your health.

W&L strongly encourages you to take advantage of our free consultation in order to discuss your specific case and ensure you understand all your legal options. Reach out to us by filling out the form on this page or calling (917) LAWYERS.

Our attorneys are eager to help victims and their families obtain the best possible outcomes. We have the resources and talent it takes for success. Our team of attorneys can leverage the strengths of your case to achieve your best outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Mesothelioma patients and their families have a lot of questions and concerns. Here are some of the most common questions we encounter:

What Options Do Veterans Have for Mesothelioma Treatment? 

Many veterans find they were first exposed to asbestos, that causes mesothelioma, during their military service. If you are a veteran you could be eligible for healthcare benefits that can help pay for treatment, as well as disability compensation that includes monthly income benefits. ⁽³⁶⁾

While VA benefits help, you still want to consider taking legal action against the companies responsible for your exposure to asbestos. You are not filing a lawsuit against the military or the U.S. government. Any lawsuit you file is against manufacturers, distributors, and others who sold asbestos products to the military.

How Much Does Mesothelioma Treatment Cost?

Treatment for mesothelioma is expensive. The exact cost is harder to pin down since each doctor, treatment type, and mesothelioma treatment center varies. Additionally, there are hidden costs that must be taken into account.

However, a 2020 study that surveyed cancer costs in the U.S. estimated costs based on “prevalence projections” (using data from 2015 to 2030) for national costs. Researchers found considerable variation in costs depending on cancer site and stage. They noted: ⁽³⁷⁾

• End-of-life phase costs were highest.
• Cost for Initial and continuing phases included “medical care: $105,500, $41,800, and $5,300 and oral prescription drugs: $4,200, $1,800, $1,100, respectively.”
• “Overall national costs in 2015 were $183 billion and projected to increase 34% to $246 billion by 2030, based only on population growth.”

A 2024 National Cancer Institute trends report estimated annualized care costs: ⁽³⁸⁾

• Initial costs for lung cancer ranging from $70,895 to $87,656.
• Continuing care costs ranged from $15,095 to $15,928.
• End-of-life care ranged from $114,009 to $119,929.

Finally, a 2020 oncology journal article reported on the high costs of cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC. It said, “The median direct variable cost was $20,509 (16,395–25,240).” ⁽³⁹⁾