Our dedicated mesothelioma service
In the UK, 2,700 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which predominantly affects the lining of the lungs and is associated with exposure to asbestos, a material once commonly used in construction. It can take over 20 years for symptoms to appear after initial exposure.
Mesothelioma is a challenging condition but advances in medical science have opened new avenues for its management and treatment.
As the UK’s leading independent cancer care provider, we offer fast access to a comprehensive treatment pathway led by leading specialists in mesothelioma.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you can contact us directly for more information about the treatment options. We provide clinical advice, expert opinion and the latest evidence-based treatment options.
Our mesothelioma services are available at our centres in Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Elstree, London, Maidstone, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Surrey and Windsor.
Contact us
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, get in touch to discuss your treatment options. Our experts provide a personalised treatment plan designed to give you the best possible life outcomes.
What is mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer most often found in the layer of tissue covering each lung (pleural mesothelioma). It can also affect the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma) and occasionally other areas in the body.
Mesothelioma is most common in people over 65. It can affect people over 50, but it’s rare for anyone younger than 50 to have mesothelioma. Men are more likely to get it than women, which is thought to be linked to asbestos exposure at work.1
Asbestos was widely used in various manufacturing and construction industries until it was banned in 1999. These tiny particles can be inhaled and get stuck in the lungs, damaging them over time. This can eventually lead to cancer.
Mesothelioma symptoms
The main symptoms of mesothelioma affecting the lining of the lung are:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Extreme tiredness
- Sweating and high temperatures, especially at night
- A persistent cough
- Loss of appetite and weight loss when you're not trying to
How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
See your GP if you’re worried about any symptoms. They’ll refer you for specialist tests if they think you may have mesothelioma.
The tests you have depend on your symptoms, including:
- An X-ray or CT scan of your chest or abdomen
- Draining any fluid that's built up around your lungs or abdomen to look for cancer cells
- A thoracoscopy or laparoscopy - inserting a tiny camera through a small incision to look inside your lungs or abdomen
- You may have a biopsy at the same time to take a sample to test for cancer
Mesothelioma treatment options
Mesothelioma is often diagnosed at an advanced stage which can make it difficult to treat.
The best treatment for you depends on:
- The type of mesothelioma you have
- How far it's spread (it's stage)
- Your general health
With our multidisciplinary approach to cancer care, all aspects of your health, cancer diagnosis and personal wishes are taken into account to design the best treatment plan for you.
Access to physicians and oncologists who specialise in mesothelioma is essential. We provide a world-class service and personalised approach to help patients with mesothelioma.
Dr Crispin Hiley, Clinical Director for Lung Cancer, GenesisCare UK
Cancer drugs
Drug treatments used for mesothelioma are:
- Immunotherapy – medicines that help your immune system recognise and fight cancer.
- Chemotherapy – anti-cancer medicines that attack cancer cells and shrink tumours
These approaches are each important to the treatment of patients with mesothelioma. The most appropriate therapy depends on the individual patient’s condition.
Our highly trained nurses provide one-to-one care and a 24-hour emergency phone line.
Our medical oncology centres each have the Macmillan Quality Environmental Mark, recognising our dedication to providing high-quality cancer services.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses radiation precisely aimed at tumours to destroy cancer cells. Our world-class radiotherapy service for mesothelioma includes groundbreaking treatment options.
Our specialists offer stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for mesothelioma in the lung. This advanced treatment precisely targets cancers with a high dose of radiation.
SABR radiotherapy:
- Offers treatment in three to eight sessions on alternate days
- Can be delivered at many of our GenesisCare centres across the UK
- May be delivered on the MRIdian Linac if the area that needs to be treated is close to sensitive organs in your chest, such as the airways or heart
Early research on SABR for mesothelioma has shown good outcomes for controlling cancer with limited side effects. 1, 2, 3, 4
For mesothelioma patients who need radiotherapy to a large area of the lungs, standard radiotherapy may be the most appropriate treatment instead.
Surgery
Surgery is rarely used to remove mesothelioma. It’s only used if the cancer is at an early stage, and many patients are diagnosed with more advanced diseases. Recent research has indicated patients may be better off without surgery and having other treatments instead.
Before considering surgery, we highly recommend discussing your options with an oncologist and a mesothelioma nurse. Trials have shown that surgery for mesothelioma is linked to a lower quality of life and shorter survival compared to not having surgery.
We see cancer care differently
Our centres, nurses, doctors, radiotherapists and pharmacists work together to treat you, not just your cancer. We know that it can be an overwhelming and life-changing experience impacting much more than your physical health.
We offer clinical advice and medications to help you manage the physical symptoms and side effects of your treatment, and integrative therapies to help you through the rest. These include personalised exercise medicine at our on-site exercise clinics and via our app, and wellbeing therapies, such as reflexology and counselling through our partnership with national charity Penny Brohn UK.
This holistic approach to cancer care is designed to help you deal with the physical and mental impact of cancer, while working safely alongside your clinical treatments to maximise their beneficial effects.
We’re the only private healthcare provider to offer these services at no extra cost.
Our mesothelioma specialists
Your treatment will be provided by one of our leading mesothelioma specialists.
Dr Crispin Hiley
BSc (HONS.) MBChB (HONS.) PGDIP PHD MRCP FRCR
Associate Professor and Consultant Clinical Oncologist
London Cromwell Hospital
Dr John Conibear
MBBCh, BSc, MRCP, MSc, FRCR, MD(Res)
Clinical Oncologist
London Cromwell Hospital +1
Dr David Woolf
BMedSci, MBChB, MRCP (UK), FRCR, MSc, MD(res)
Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Birmingham
FAQs
There are different types of pleural mesothelioma depending on the appearance of the cancer cells. The most common form is ‘epithelioid mesothelioma’ which spreads slower than the other types.
The less common type is ‘sarcomatoid’. This spreads faster and doesn't respond as well to treatment.
The most uncommon type is ‘biphasic’. This type is a mixture of the ‘epithelioid’ type and the ‘sarcomatoid’ type and the ratio of cell types can affect your treatment options.
Mesothelioma can develop in patients with very little or no known asbestos exposure.
The risk of developing mesothelioma in the lung increases with the amount of asbestos you’re exposed to, such as if you worked in manufacturing or construction industries that used asbestos.
We’re all likely to have asbestos exposure at some point in our lives because a low level of particles are present in the air.
Carbon nanotubes, which are used in many manufacturing sources, have been linked as a possible cause of mesothelioma.5
Other chemicals have been shown to increase the risk of mesothelioma. These are erionite found in Turkey and fluro-edenite in Italy.
Some patients may have a germline mutation (a change in their DNA that is inherited) in a gene called BAP1. This means these patients can develop mesothelioma at a younger age and with a much smaller amount of asbestos exposure.
Useful resources
References
1. Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) as Salvage Therapy for Oligorecurrent Pleural Mesothelioma After Multi-Modality Therapy. Front Oncol. 2019 Sep.
2. Salvage radiotherapy for oligo-progressive malignant pleural mesothelioma. Lung Cancer. 2021 Feb.
3. Managing oligoprogressive malignant pleural mesothelioma with stereotactic body radiation therapy. Lung Cancer. 2021 Jul
4. Clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Radiother Oncol. 2024 Feb.
5. Asbestos, carbon nanotubes and the pleural mesothelium: a review of the hypothesis regarding the role of long fibre retention in the parietal pleura, inflammation and mesothelioma. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2010 Mar.