Chemotherapy for mesothelioma
Your doctor may offer you chemotherapy to help slow the growth of mesothelioma and control symptoms.
Chemotherapy for mesothelioma
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Cytotoxic means toxic to cells. These drugs disrupt the way cancer cells grow and divide but they also affect normal cells.
Chemotherapy for pleural mesothelioma
Your doctor may offer chemotherapy to help slow the growth of pleural mesothelioma. It may also help with symptoms such as pain and breathlessness. Your doctor will tell you if chemotherapy is suitable for you.
Chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma
Your doctor may offer chemotherapy to help slow the growth of peritoneal mesothelioma and control symptoms. This may be offered if immunotherapy is not suitable for you, or if you have already had immunotherapy. Your doctor will tell you if chemotherapy is right for you.
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How chemotherapy is given
Chemotherapy drugs for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma are usually given by injection into a vein (intravenously), or by a drip (infusion). Chemotherapy is usually given as a session of treatment. Each session of treatment may last between 1 and a few days. This is followed by a rest period of a few weeks. The treatment and the rest period make up a cycle of treatment. How many cycles you have will depend on:
- the stage of the cancer
- how well the cancer is responding to treatment
- the side effects of the treatment.
Chemotherapy into the abdomen
If you are having surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma, your doctor may suggest having chemotherapy into the tummy (abdomen) during the surgery. This is called HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy).
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Chemotherapy drugs
Chemotherapy drugs for pleural mesothelioma
The most commonly used drugs to treat pleural mesothelioma are pemetrexed (Alimta®) together with carboplatin or cisplatin.
Chemotherapy drugs for peritoneal mesothelioma
The most commonly used drugs to treat peritoneal mesothelioma are pemetrexed (Alimta®) together with cisplatin, or sometimes carboplatin.
You usually have these drugs as an outpatient on the same day. You will then have a rest period with no chemotherapy for 20 days, before starting your next cycle of treatment.
If you have pemetrexed, you will be given vitamin B12 and folic acid. For peritoneal mesothelioma you will also be given steroids. These help to reduce the side effects of treatment. You may also be given other medicines to take at home.
Other chemotherapy drugs are sometimes used for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. These may be given as part of a clinical trial.
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Side effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can cause side effects. These can often be managed with drugs and usually improve after treatment has finished. Different drugs cause different side effects. Your cancer doctor, nurse or pharmacist will explain what to expect.
We explain some of the most common side effects of pemetrexed, cisplatin and carboplatin here, as well as some ways to reduce or control them. You may get some of the side effects we mention, but you are very unlikely to get all of them.
- Risk of infection
- Bruising and bleeding
- Anaemia (low number of red blood cells)
- Feeling sick
- Sore mouth and throat
- Diarrhoea
- Numb or tingling hands or feet (peripheral neuropathy)
- Hearing changes.
Always tell your cancer doctor, nurse or pharmacist about any side effects.
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About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our mesothelioma cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk
Kusamura S, Kepenekian V, Villeneuve L, Lurvink RJ, Govaerts K, De Hingh IHJT, Moran BJ, Van der Speeten K, Deraco M, Glehen O; PSOGI. Peritoneal mesothelioma: PSOGI/EURACAN clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2021 Vol, 47(1) pp6-59. [accessed April 2024].
Popat, S., Baas P., Faivre-Finn, C., Girard, N., Nicholson, A., Nowak, A., Opitz, I., Scherpereel, A, and Reck, M. 2021. ESMO Pleural mesothelioma guidelines. Malignant pleural mesothelioma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Available from: https://www.annalsofoncology.org/action/showPdf [accessed April 2024].
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