The following stages are used for malignant mesothelioma. Cancer has spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through the diaphragm, or abdominal lining, and in some cases into nearby lymph nodes. Cancer has spread to distant organs or tissues. It may come back in the lining of the chest or abdomen or in another part of the body. How malignant mesothelioma is treated There are treatments for all patients with malignant mesothelioma.
Surgery is a common treatment for malignant mesothelioma.
Your doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting a needle into the chest or abdomen and using gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis.