Finding Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Are there any mesothelioma clinical trials I can join and how do I find them? Yes. Exposure to asbestos causes most mesotheliomas, and clinical trials are one route to newer treatments beyond the current standard of care. Clinical trials for people with mesothelioma are conducted at cancer centers in the United States and elsewhere. Whether a particular study is open, has a site within reach, and is suitable for one person can change over time. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) maintains a current list of mesothelioma clinical trials, while ClinicalTrials.gov provides records submitted by government, academic, nonprofit, and commercial study sponsors.

A listing is not a recommendation, and appearing to meet the conditions in an online record does not guarantee enrollment. The study team must confirm eligibility. A person considering a trial should review it with their oncologist, who can compare the study with standard treatment options and help assess its possible risks, benefits, and practical demands. ClinicalTrials.gov likewise advises people to discuss the possible risks and benefits of participation with a health care professional.

This page is the patient-navigation companion to Mesothelioma Clinical Trials, which catalogs the specific studies, agents, and results currently under investigation.

Executive Summary

Clinical trials give people with mesothelioma a route to newer treatments beyond the current standard of care. Trials for mesothelioma are conducted at cancer centers in the United States and elsewhere, and they include treatment studies — immunotherapy, targeted therapy, gene-modified and cell therapies, and surgery and radiation combinations — as well as supportive-care and palliative-care studies focused on symptoms, side effects, and quality of life. The two primary search tools are the National Cancer Institute's current mesothelioma trial list and ClinicalTrials.gov, which carries study records submitted by government, academic, nonprofit, and commercial sponsors.

A listing is not a recommendation: appearing to meet a study's conditions in an online record does not guarantee enrollment, the study team must confirm eligibility, and anyone considering a trial should review it with their oncologist, who can compare the study with standard treatment options. Eligibility turns on the specifics of the cancer — site and histologic type, stage, prior treatments, tumor biomarkers or genetic alterations — together with age, general health, laboratory results, and other medical conditions. Whether a study is open, has a site within reach, and suits one person can change over time, so each record's status, locations, contacts, and last-updated date should be checked before acting.

At a Glance

Finding a mesothelioma clinical trial at a glance:

• Trials are a route to newer treatments — mesothelioma studies test immunotherapy, targeted therapy, gene-modified and cell therapies, and surgery/radiation combinations, plus supportive and palliative care.
• Start with two official lists — NCI's current mesothelioma trial list and ClinicalTrials.gov, which hosts sponsor-submitted study records.
• A listing is not a recommendation — meeting a study's listed conditions does not guarantee enrollment; the study team must confirm eligibility.
• Review any candidate trial with your oncologist — they can compare it with standard options and help weigh risks, benefits, and practical demands.
• Eligibility is highly specific — site and type, stage, prior treatment and response, age and health, labs, organ function, other conditions, and tumor biomarkers all commonly factor in.
• Records change — check each study's status, eligibility criteria, contacts and locations, and the date the record was last updated before contacting a site.
• Consider a second opinion — NCI's search guide recommends asking the care team about trials or seeking a second opinion when appropriate.
• Search several terms — studies may be described as cellular therapy, gene-modified cell therapy, or immunotherapy rather than "gene therapy," and basket trials may list mesothelioma only in detailed eligibility.

Key Facts

Measure	Finding (Source)
Established cause	Asbestos exposure causes most mesotheliomas (National Cancer Institute)
Where trials run	Cancer centers in the United States and elsewhere (National Cancer Institute)
Primary search tools	NCI mesothelioma trial list; ClinicalTrials.gov sponsor-submitted records (NCI; U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Treatment categories under study	Immunotherapy; targeted therapy; gene-modified and cell therapies; surgery and radiation combinations (NCI)
Targeted-therapy share of trial portfolio	A substantial part of pleural mesothelioma trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov through 2017 (Süveg et al., Lung Cancer, 2018)
Eligibility factors	Site and histologic type; stage; prior treatments and response; age and health; labs and organ function; other conditions; tumor biomarkers (NCI)
Enrollment rule	A listing is not a recommendation; the study team confirms eligibility; review with an oncologist (ClinicalTrials.gov)

What kinds of mesothelioma trials are available?

Mesothelioma research includes treatment trials, supportive-care trials, and palliative-care trials. Treatment trials test new treatments or new ways of using existing treatments; supportive and palliative studies may focus on symptoms, side effects, or quality of life. The NCI mesothelioma treatment overview describes all three kinds.

The treatments under study change as trials open and close, but major categories include:

• Immunotherapy. These studies examine treatments intended to help the immune system recognize or attack cancer, either alone or with chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. Current NCI listings include studies of chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy in peritoneal mesothelioma and perioperative immunotherapy combinations in pleural mesothelioma; the live NCI mesothelioma trial list shows each study's present status and locations.
• Targeted therapy. A targeted treatment acts on a molecular feature or pathway involved in a tumor. Some trials require a particular biomarker or genetic alteration. For example, the NCI list includes studies limited to tumors with molecular features such as MTAP loss or homologous-recombination deficiency. A 2018 analysis of pleural mesothelioma trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov through 2017 found that targeted therapies made up a substantial part of the trial portfolio at that time.
• Gene-modified and cell therapies. Some early-stage studies use immune cells that have been genetically modified to recognize a tumor target such as mesothelin. The current NCI list includes mesothelin-directed CAR T-cell studies that accept certain people with mesothelioma. These studies may be described as cellular therapy, gene-modified cell therapy, or immunotherapy rather than simply “gene therapy,” so searching several terms can help.
• Surgery and radiation combinations. Trials may test surgery after systemic treatment or combine radiation with an immune-checkpoint drug. Examples include an NCI-listed phase 2 study of surgery after nivolumab and ipilimumab and a registered study of pembrolizumab with pleural radiation. These examples illustrate research categories; they do not establish that either study is appropriate or currently recruiting at a convenient site.

An online search may also return “basket” trials enrolling people with several kinds of solid tumors when their tumors share a biomarker. Because mesothelioma may appear only in the detailed eligibility section, a treating oncologist or trial-matching specialist may find possibilities that a simple disease-name search misses. NCI notes that tumor genetic changes, prior treatment, and other diagnostic details are commonly used in trial matching.

How to search ClinicalTrials.gov

ClinicalTrials.gov is operated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Its records describe study status, eligibility criteria, interventions, locations, and contacts, but the site does not determine whether a study is medically appropriate for an individual. The site's own search guide recommends using separate filters for the condition, location, intervention, and recruitment status.

To look for a trial:

1. Open ClinicalTrials.gov and enter mesothelioma in the Condition/disease field.
2. Under Study Status, choose Recruiting and not yet recruiting studies if the goal is to find studies that may accept participants. “Active, not recruiting” means the study is continuing but is not enrolling new participants.
3. Enter a city, state, ZIP code, or country under Location. When searching by an address or ZIP code, the site allows a distance radius. If results are sparse, broaden the radius or remove the location temporarily to see which centers are running relevant studies.
4. Use More Filters only when useful. Age, study phase, intervention, and other eligibility filters can narrow a long list. Searches for terms such as immunotherapy, CAR T, radiation, a drug name, or a biomarker may be entered under the appropriate intervention or other-term field.
5. Open each promising record and check Study Status, Eligibility Criteria, Contacts and Locations, the intervention groups, and the date the record was last updated. ClinicalTrials.gov explains these sections in How to Read a Study Record.
6. Record the study's NCT number, participating location, and contact information. Contact the study team to ask whether that particular site is enrolling, then share the record with the treating oncologist. ClinicalTrials.gov says recruiting studies ordinarily show contact information in the Contacts and Locations section.

Recruitment information can change, and a location listed under a multi-site trial may not have the same enrollment status as every other location. If a study contact does not respond, ClinicalTrials.gov suggests trying another listed location, looking for similar studies, or discussing other research options with a health care provider.

Other ways to find a trial

The NCI mesothelioma clinical-trials page can be filtered by age and location. NCI's advanced clinical-trial search also searches NCI-funded studies and certain studies at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers.

The treating oncologist is an important starting point because the search depends on details that may not be obvious from a diagnosis alone. NCI recommends gathering the cancer type and stage, pathology findings, prior treatments, tumor genetic changes, medical history, and current health information before searching. Its six-step search guide includes a cancer-details checklist and recommends asking the care team about trials or seeking a second opinion when appropriate.

People in the United States can also request a tailored search through the NCI Cancer Information Service by calling 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). NCI describes this as a free service and cautions that its search results do not replace a doctor's advice. Cancer centers and disease-specific organizations may offer additional matching help, but users should ask who operates a service, which registries it searches, whether sponsors pay for referrals, and how personal and medical information will be used.

Beyond the search itself, patient-support nonprofits can help with preparation and perspective. Cancer Support Community runs a Peer Clinical Trials Support Program that connects patients with a fellow patient or survivor who has been through a trial, and offers a worksheet, "Are Clinical Trials Right for You?," to help structure the conversation with a care team. Its programs address cancer broadly rather than mesothelioma specifically.

For the current landscape of specific mesothelioma studies — agents under investigation, phase distribution, and published results — see Mesothelioma Clinical Trials.

Who Can Help Me Reach a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Far From Home?

Distance is a common barrier. In 2022, 70% of U.S. counties had no reported active cancer treatment trials, and 26% of people aged 55 and older lived more than an hour's drive from a site with at least 100 trials.

Where a patient is treated also matters. In Commission on Cancer data for 2013 to 2017, 21.6% of patients at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers enrolled in cancer treatment trials, compared with 4.1% at community programs. A consultation at a specialized center can therefore open trial options that a local practice does not offer.

Help with the cost of getting there is available. The American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge communities provide a free place to stay for people with cancer and their caregivers when treatment is far from home, at 31 locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Some trials can reduce travel. In September 2024 the FDA issued final guidance on clinical trials with decentralized elements, which allow some trial activities to happen remotely, such as telehealth visits with investigators or visits with local health care providers; FDA's regulatory requirements are the same for these trials as for others. Whether a particular mesothelioma trial offers remote visits, travel support or lodging depends on its protocol and site, so the study coordinator is the person to ask.

What determines eligibility?

Every trial has inclusion and exclusion criteria. Common criteria include:

• the mesothelioma site and histologic type;
• disease stage and whether surgery is considered possible;
• previous treatments and how the cancer responded;
• age and general health or performance status;
• laboratory results and the function of organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs;
• other medical conditions or medicines;
• a tumor biomarker or genetic alteration; and
• whether measurable disease or a new tumor sample is required.

These examples reflect the common eligibility factors described by NCI in How Do Clinical Trials Work? and its trial-search guide. Exact criteria come from the individual protocol. Initial matching is therefore only a pre-screen: the research team may need to review records, pathology, imaging, blood tests, and other examinations before confirming enrollment. A person who is ineligible for one study may still qualify for another because protocols ask different scientific questions and use different safety limits.

What does participation mean in practice?

Trial phases

Treatment trials are commonly organized by phase. Phase 1 studies primarily evaluate safety, side effects, and dose in a small group. Phase 2 studies continue safety evaluation and look for evidence that a treatment acts against the cancer. Phase 3 studies generally compare a new approach with the current standard in a larger group. Phase 4 research takes place after approval and gathers more information about a treatment's benefits and risks. NCI provides a fuller explanation in How Do Clinical Trials Work?.

An earlier phase does not mean that a treatment is better or worse for a particular person; it describes the questions the study is designed to answer and how much is known about the intervention. Potential participants should ask what is already known, what the study's main goal is, and which alternatives are available outside the trial.

Randomization and placebos

Some phase 2 and phase 3 trials use randomization, meaning a computer or similar method assigns participants to treatment groups rather than the participant or doctor choosing the group. Randomization helps researchers make a fair comparison. Not every trial is randomized, and the consent discussion should explain the chance of assignment to each group.

Placebos are rarely used by themselves in cancer treatment trials when an effective standard treatment exists. NCI explains that a placebo may be used when no standard treatment exists, or a trial may compare standard treatment plus placebo with standard treatment plus the experimental treatment. Any placebo use must be disclosed during informed consent.

Visits, tests, consent, and withdrawal

Participation can require extra clinic visits, imaging, laboratory tests, questionnaires, biopsies, or hospital stays. The schedule and length vary by protocol. Before enrollment, the study team conducts an informed-consent process covering the purpose, procedures, foreseeable risks and possible benefits, alternatives, and participant rights. Signing the form does not remove the right to ask questions or to leave the study later; NCI states that participants may withdraw at any time. Leaving a trial should be discussed with the study team and treating doctor so that follow-up and other treatment can be planned safely.

Costs and travel

Trial costs are divided in practice between research costs and routine patient-care costs. A sponsor commonly pays for the experimental intervention and research-only procedures, while health insurance may be billed for care that would ordinarily be provided outside the study. Coverage varies, and participants may still face deductibles or other out-of-pocket expenses. Travel, lodging, meals, parking, and dependent care can add costs; some trials or support organizations offer assistance. NCI recommends asking the study coordinator exactly what the sponsor covers, what will be billed to insurance, and what the participant must pay.

Two federal rules shape who covers those routine costs. The Affordable Care Act bars most group and individual health plans from denying coverage of routine patient costs for someone enrolled in an approved clinical trial for cancer or another life-threatening condition. Since January 1, 2022, Medicaid has been required to cover those same routine trial-related costs, and states may not deny that coverage based on where the trial is held or whether the treating provider is in the beneficiary's network. Triage Cancer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free education on cancer-related legal and financial issues, publishes a plain-language guide to both rules.

Before agreeing to participate, useful practical questions include how often visits occur, whether any can happen locally or by telehealth, who handles complications, whether tissue biopsies are required, how long treatment and follow-up last, and whether travel or lodging support is available. The answers should be obtained from the specific study team because they differ by protocol and site.

Bottom line

Mesothelioma clinical trials do exist, including studies of immunotherapy, targeted treatments, gene-modified cell therapies, and combinations involving surgery or radiation. The most reliable search combines an up-to-date registry search with review by the treating oncologist or a mesothelioma specialist. A registry result is the beginning of screening—not confirmation that the study is suitable, available locally, or likely to help. Eligibility, alternatives, possible harms and benefits, costs, and travel demands should all be clarified with the study team before enrollment.

Families pursuing treatment, including clinical trial care, may also want to look into whether the underlying asbestos exposure qualifies them for legal or trust-fund compensation to help offset costs. Danziger & De Llano offers free case evaluations; contact details appear under External Links below. General background on trust fund compensation is also available.

External Links

• Danziger & De Llano — national mesothelioma and asbestos law firm; free case evaluations for patients and families