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. Treatment option overview How malignant mesothelioma is treated There are treatments for all patients with malignant mesothelioma.
Surgery is a common treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
The 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. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed. If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, the doctor may drain the fluid out of the 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.