TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Chemotherapy
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
Chemotherapy (also called chemo) uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Combination chemotherapy is the use of more than one anticancer drug.
Systemic chemotherapy is when chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. When given this way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body.
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Regional chemotherapy is when chemotherapy is placed directly into an organ or a body cavity, such as the chest or peritoneum. When given this way, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a type of regional chemotherapy used to treat mesothelioma:
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HIPEC may be used to treat mesothelioma that has spread to the peritoneum (tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in the abdomen). After the surgeon removes all the cancer that can be seen, a solution containing anticancer drugs is heated and pumped into and out of the abdomen to kill cancer cells that remain. Heating the anticancer drugs may kill more cancer cells.
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The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Learn more about how chemotherapy works, how it is given, common side effects, and more at Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer and Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer.
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Visit Drugs Approved for Malignant Mesothelioma for more information.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice