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Surgery
Source: Mesothelioma Treatment, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 16, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Treatment options for mesothelioma
The following surgical treatments may be used for mesothelioma in the chest:
Wide local excision is surgery to remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it. The amount of healthy tissue removed depends on how deep or how large the tumor being removed is.
Pleurectomy and decortication is surgery to remove part of the covering of the lungs and lining of the chest and part of the outside surface of the lungs.
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Extrapleural pneumonectomy is surgery to remove one whole lung and part of the lining of the chest, the diaphragm, and the lining of the sac around the heart.
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Pleurodesis is surgery that uses chemicals or drugs to make a scar in the space between the layers of the pleura. Fluid is first drained from the space using a catheter or chest tube and the chemical or drug is put into the space. The scarring stops the build-up of fluid in the pleural cavity.
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After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some people may receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice