Mayo Clinic
1216 2nd Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55902
Mayo Clinic is one of the most respected medical institutions in the world. The hospital network features groundbreaking studies and clinical trials for cancers like malignant mesothelioma, led by some of the brightest doctors and researchers in the field of oncology, radiation, cell and gene therapy, and surgery.
Pleural Mesothelioma and Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Mayo Clinic
1216 2nd Street SW
Rochester, Minnesota
Dr. Aaron Mansfield
Dr. Anastasios (Tassos) Dimou
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More About Mesothelioma Treatment at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is one of the top mesothelioma cancer centers in the world and is highly regarded as an excellent choice for patients seeking care and treatment.
Mayo Clinic has three locations in the United States. The primary location for cancer treatment and clinical trials is in Rochester, Minnesota. All three Mayo Clinic locations are National Cancer Institute-designated centers.
One of the top assets for the Mayo Clinic is longevity of providing care. The hospital has helped patients with aggressive diseases for more than 150 years. Patients from every corner of the United States come to the hospital for the elite reputation, technology and research.
Mayo Clinic’s specialty program for mesothelioma includes:
- Medical oncologists
- Radiation oncologists
- Pulmonologists
- Thoracic surgeons
- Surgical oncologists
- Palliative care doctors
Mayo Clinic also has hospital locations in Phoenix, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Florida. Arizona’s location does not have any mesothelioma specialists on staff, while Jacksonville’s hospital has two medical oncologists.
There are two main types of mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma (forms in the lining of the lungs); and peritoneal mesothelioma (forms in the lining of the abdominal cavity). Mayo Clinic has specialists to treat both types.
Mesothelioma Treatment at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville
The Mayo Clinic’s location in Jacksonville, Florida, offers most of the resources available at the main center. Three doctors comprise the specialist team and head a multidisciplinary program for mesothelioma treatment. Patients can receive:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Immunotherapy (FDA-approved Opdivo and Yervoy)
- Clinical trials
“We have a weekly multidisciplinary conference to review cases together,” said Dr. Yujie Zhao, a specialist in head, neck, thyroid and lung cancers, along with mesothelioma. “The treatment plans are usually formulated in this conference.”
The other doctors are Dr. Yanyan Lou and Dr. Rami Manochakian, who both focus on lung cancer and mesothelioma. They work with:
- Dr. Matthew Thomas, the primary thoracic surgeon for pleural mesothelioma
- Dr. Sanjay Bagaria, who specializes in cytoreduction with HIPEC for peritoneal mesothelioma
“I think mesothelioma is not a fast-moving field, which is unfortunate, but it’s because it’s such a rare disease,” Dr. Lou said. “There’s not a high number of patients to be able to do the studies.”
- Dr. Anastasios (Tassos) Dimou, thoracic surgeon
- Dr. Travis Grotz, surgical oncologist
- Dr. Konstantinos Leventakos, medical oncologist
- Dr. Aaron Mansfield, medical oncologist
- Dr. Yanyan Lou, medical oncologist (Jacksonville location)
- Dr. Rami Manochakian, medical oncologist (Jacksonville location)
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- Mayo Clinic location in Phoenix, Arizona
- Mayo Clinic location in Jacksonville, Florida
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy surgery
- Pleurectomy/decortication surgery
- Cytoreductive surgery/HIPEC
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Immunotherapy
- Optune Lua tumor treating fields therapy
Get Connected to Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is one of the most prolific cancer centers for clinical trials testing new novel therapies or perfecting widely accepted treatments. This fact is no different for mesothelioma, as Mayo Clinic is a regular host site of surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and other clinical studies. The hospital has a full team of mesothelioma specialists, along with a separate branch in Jacksonville, Florida.
Why Choose Mayo Clinic?
- Ranked first among all hospitals for medical care
- Two locations offering mesothelioma care and specialists to patients
- Reputation among doctors as an elite cancer center
Listed on Hospitals Honor Roll
Each year, U.S. News & World Report releases an Honor Roll of the top hospitals in the world. The ranking is for general medical care but includes separate rankings for general cancer treatment, or specific types of cancer care.
Mayo Clinic ranks high among all hospitals for overall medical care, which is a testament to the cancer center’s quality of care for patients. The Mayo Clinic is listed in the U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Hospitals Honor Roll, along with ranking 3rd for general cancer treatment and 1st cancer-specific treatment related to mesothelioma.
- Listed in the U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Hospitals Honor Roll
- Ranked 1st in Minnesota
- Ranked 3rd in cancer treatment
- Ranked 1st in gastrointestinal cancer surgery (peritoneal mesothelioma)
- Ranked 1st in lung cancer surgery (pleural mesothelioma)
Host of Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Mayo Clinic is a regular host site of clinical trials for mesothelioma. Some studies even focus on this rare cancer, of which only 3,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
There are eight mesothelioma clinical trials currently recruiting with the Mayo Clinic listed as a host site. One of the trials is for SMART for mesothelioma, a protocol giving patients radiation therapy prior to surgery for pleural mesothelioma.
The hospital hosted a clinical trial testing which chemotherapy drug combination worked best for mesothelioma: pemetrexed and carboplatin or pemetrexed and gemcitabine. The median overall survival was 13 months with carboplatin and only six months with gemcitabine.
Another trial tested adding the drug CBP501 to the chemotherapy combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin. The four-month progression-free survival rate was around 63%, while the two chemotherapy toxins alone (without CBP501) had a four-month progression-free survival rate of around 40%.
How to Begin Treatment at Mayo Clinic
There are a lot of factors affecting your choice of treatment center, including location, insurance and the team of doctors who will care for you or your loved one.
This decision can be overwhelming, but there are many excellent cancer centers with highly trained surgeons and medical oncologists. If you look for a mesothelioma center of excellence, you won’t go wrong in your selection. This is why we’ve offered to narrow down your search with a list of cancer center recommendations based on your location, type of disease and more factors.
Mayo Clinic is one of those centers of excellence, with access to nearly a dozen ongoing mesothelioma clinical trials and a full team of specialists with decades of experience. The hospital also offers a transitional care program for recovery after surgery.
Our team of patient advocates are knowledgeable about these facilities and can help take the pressure off finding the right cancer center. If you’d like to schedule an initial meeting with the Mayo Clinic, reach out to our patient advocate Karen Ritter. She’s a registered nurse who can guide you through the process of setting up a consultation and connecting with these cancer centers. Her email is karen@mesotheliomaguide.com.
Sources & Author
- Mesothelioma Specialty Group. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/mesothelioma-specialty-group/overview/ovc-20474842. Accessed: 02/09/2022.
- Department and Specialties. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mesothelioma/doctors-departments/ddc-20375030. Accessed: 02/09/2022.
- Find a Cancer Center. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/cancer-centers/find. Accessed: 03/03/2022.
- Mayo Clinic. U.S.News & World Report. Retrieved from: https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/mn/mayo-clinic-6610451. Accessed: 07/21/2024.
- Study of CBP501 + Pemetrexed + Cisplatin on MPM (Phase I/II). Clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00700336. Accessed: 03/02/2022.
- Pemetrexed Plus Gemcitabine or Carboplatin for Patients With Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00101283. Accessed: 03/02/2022.
- Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy “SMART” for Resectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02613299. Accessed: 03/02/2022.
