{"id":24314,"date":"2025-04-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?p=24314"},"modified":"2025-04-14T15:07:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T19:07:56","slug":"nccn-mesothelioma-treatment-guidelines-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/blog\/nccn-mesothelioma-treatment-guidelines-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Key Takeaways From the 2025 NCCN Mesothelioma Treatment Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Each year, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) updates its guidelines to reflect the latest research and treatment options for various cancers, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/mesothelioma\/\">mesothelioma<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In March 2025, our Oncology Nurse Navigator <a href=\"\/blog\/meet-liz-logan-mesothelioma-nurse\/\">Liz Logan<\/a> attended the NCCN Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, where the most recent updates to the pleural mesothelioma guidelines were shared.<\/p>\n<p>These latest NCCN guidelines were reviewed in depth during a session led by Dr. James Stevenson of Cleveland Clinic.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 5 important takeaways that patients with <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/pleural\/\">pleural mesothelioma<\/a> should know.<\/p>\n<h2>1\u00a0. Getting the Right Diagnosis Is Critical<\/h2>\n<p>Before starting treatments, it\u2019s critical to confirm the accuracy of your mesothelioma diagnosis and identify the exact <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/cell-types\/\">cell type<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The 2025 guidelines also stress the importance of:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Taking tissue samples through a <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/diagnosis\/biopsy\/\"><strong>thoracoscopy<\/strong><\/a> (a surgical procedure that removes a small piece of tissue to examine it under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells)<\/li>\n<li>Running <strong>molecular tests<\/strong> on the tissue to check for genetic signs of cancer<\/li>\n<li>Getting care from a <strong>multidisciplinary team<\/strong> (doctors from different specialties working together)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The symptoms of mesothelioma can be similar to other common illnesses. This makes it prone to <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/diagnosis\/misdiagnosis\/\">misdiagnosis<\/a>, which can delay appropriate treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing a mesothelioma specialist improves your chances of getting the correct diagnosis. Use our <strong>Free Doctor Match<\/strong> to find top experts near you.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Surgery May Not Help Everyone<\/h2>\n<p>One of the most significant updates is that <strong>surgery does not appear to improve survival<\/strong> when combined with other treatments.<\/p>\n<div class=\"blockquote-w-image \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/liz-logan-eclipse.png\" alt=\"\" \/><blockquote><p>&#8220;Surgery should only be considered for patients with early-stage (stage 1) disease that is limited to the pleura (the lining of the lungs) and has no lymph node involvement.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer>&ndash;<cite> Liz Logan, RN, Oncology Nurse Navigator &amp; Patient Advocate for Mesothelioma Hope<\/cite><\/footer><\/blockquote><style type=\"text\/css\">.blockquote-w-image{position:relative;margin:40px auto}.blockquote-w-image blockquote{background:none;border-left:none;padding:25px;margin-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote p{margin-bottom:0}.blockquote-w-image img{width:100px;border:none;border-radius:100%;box-shadow:none;position:relative;margin:0 auto}.blockquote-w-image.alternative{margin:60px auto}.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote{padding:25px 25px 25px 80px;padding-bottom:25px;background-color:#E4F4F6}.blockquote-w-image.alternative img{position:absolute;left:20px;top:25px;z-index:1;width:50px;border:1px solid #fff;box-shadow:0 0 10px rgba(34,34,34,0.2);border-radius:100%}.blockquote-w-image.with-border{background:none;border-left:4px solid #0FAEBF}.blockquote-w-image.with-border blockquote{background:none;border-radius:0;padding:10px 25px}.blockquote-w-image.with-border blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote:before{display:none}@media screen and (min-width: 769px){.blockquote-w-image img{position:absolute;left:0;top:0}.blockquote-w-image blockquote{padding:0 25px 0 125px;min-height:90px}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote{padding-left:105px}.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote footer cite{font-size:16px}.entry-content .blockquote-w-image.alternative img{width:60px;left:25px}}<\/style><\/div>\n<p>If surgery is an option, the NCCN\u2019s malignant mesothelioma treatment guidelines recommend <a href=\"\/treatment\/surgery\/pleurectomy-decortication\/\">pleurectomy\/decortication (P\/D)<\/a> over <a href=\"\/treatment\/surgery\/extrapleural-pneumonectomy\/\">extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP)<\/a> because it\u2019s generally safer.<\/p>\n<p>You can talk to your doctor about whether surgery is appropriate based on your stage, cell type, and overall health.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Immunotherapy Is Now a First-Line Treatment for Some Patients<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Stevenson discussed the results of the CheckMate 743 clinical trial, which continues to guide how doctors treat pleural mesothelioma after it showed immunotherapy helped patients live longer than chemotherapy alone.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, the 2025 NCCN guidelines state that the use of immunotherapy depends on the patient\u2019s <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/cell-types\/\">mesothelioma cell type<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The new guidelines recommend:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/immunotherapy\/\">Immunotherapy<\/a> with Opdivo\u00ae + Yervoy\u00ae as the first-line (initial) treatment for the sarcomatoid and biphasic cell types<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/chemotherapy\/\">Chemotherapy<\/a> as the first-line treatment for the epithelioid cell type<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Immunotherapy can be used as a second-line (follow-up) treatment for epithelioid mesothelioma patients whose cancer doesn\u2019t respond to first-line chemotherapy.<\/p>\n<p>Download our <strong>Free Immunotherapy Guide<\/strong> to learn more about how this treatment works for mesothelioma and get tips to manage common side effects.<\/p>\n<div id=\"23756\" class=\"one-off-23756 widget widget_oscar-vque one-off\" data-vqueid=\"23756\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"one-off\">.one-off-23756{margin:60px auto}.one-off-23756 a{box-shadow:0 4px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.25);display:block;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#B1E5EA 0,#0FAEBF 100%);padding:20px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;position:relative;overflow:hidden;max-width:350px;margin:0 auto}.one-off-23756 a::before{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0 0 50% 50%;content:'';position:absolute;top:0;height:87%;width:140%;left:-70px;z-index:0}.one-off-23756 .vque-content,.one-off-23756 .image-wrap{z-index:1;position:relative}.one-off-23756 .image-wrap{max-width:163px;display:block;margin:15px auto -21px}.one-off-23756 .heading{font-size:24px;line-height:28px;text-align:center;display:block;max-width:340px;margin:5px auto 25px}.one-off-23756 ul{max-width:160px;list-style:none;margin:-10px auto 22px;text-align:left;font-size:16px;line-height:27px}.one-off-23756 ul li{margin:0;position:relative;padding-left:28px}.one-off-23756 ul li::before{font-family:\"mesohope\"!important;speak:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;content:\"\\e904\";background:#0FAEBF;width:14px;height:14px;display:block;position:absolute;left:0;top:7px;border-radius:50%;color:#fff;font-size:7px;text-align:center;line-height:14px}.one-off-23756 p{text-align:center}.one-off-23756 .button{padding:12px 16px}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.one-off-23756 a{max-width:620px;padding:25px 50px 29px;border-radius:0 0 4px 4px}.one-off-23756 a::before{border-radius:0 0 100% 0;height:83%;width:70%;right:-70px;left:unset}.one-off-23756 a::after{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0;content:'';position:absolute;top:0;height:82%;width:50%;left:0;z-index:0}.one-off-23756 .heading{text-align:left;margin:5px 0 25px}.one-off-23756 ul{margin:-10px 0 22px}.one-off-23756 .image-wrap{max-width:unset;position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0 0 -2px}.one-off-23756 p{text-align:left}}<\/style><a href=\"\/immunotherapy-guide\/\" title=\"Get Your Free Immunotherapy Guide\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Get Your Free Immunotherapy Guide Ad\"><div>\r\n    <div class=\"vque-content\">\r\n        <strong class=\"heading\">Get Your Free Immunotherapy Guide<\/strong>\r\n        <ul>\r\n            <li>When it\u2019s used<\/li>\r\n            <li>Types of drugs<\/li>\r\n            <li>Side effects<\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <p><strong class=\"button arrow\" title=\"Get Your Free Guide\">Get Your Free Guide<\/strong><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/download-immunotherapy-guide.png\" alt=\"Free Immunotherapy Guide\" class=\"lazyload\" ><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>4. Radiation Therapy Should Only Be Done at Expert Centers<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"\/treatment\/radiation\/\">Radiation therapy<\/a> is now recommended <strong>only in very specific cases<\/strong> and must be done at highly experienced cancer centers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The updated mesothelioma treatment guidelines state:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pleural IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) is preferred after surgery in select cases.<\/li>\n<li>IMRT is no longer advised for patients who get an EPP.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/treatment\/palliative\/\">Palliative radiation<\/a> is still an effective option for symptom relief.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These changes reflect growing evidence that <strong>radiation needs to be carefully targeted<\/strong> to avoid harming healthy lung tissue.<\/p>\n<h2>5. New Clinical Trials Offer Hope<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Stevenson closed his presentation by highlighting two <a href=\"\/treatment\/clinical-trials\/\">clinical trials<\/a> that could lead to future breakthroughs in mesothelioma care:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>DREAM3R<\/strong> trial is studying whether adding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/immunotherapy\/durvalumab\/\">Imfinzi\u00ae<\/a> (a type of immunotherapy drug) to standard chemotherapy helps patients live longer.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>eVOLVE-meso<\/strong> trial is testing a new drug combination (volrustomig + <a href=\"\/treatment\/chemotherapy\/drugs\/carboplatin\/\">carboplatin<\/a> + pemetrexed) against standard treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"\/about\/contact\/\">Contact our Patient Advocates today<\/a> to get matched with clinical trials in your area and get help enrolling if you qualify<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Get Help Navigating Your Mesothelioma Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>At Mesothelioma Hope, we\u2019re here to help you and your loved ones make informed decisions about diagnosis, treatment, and support.<\/p>\n<div class=\"blockquote-w-image \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jenna-tozzi.png\" alt=\"\" \/><blockquote><p>&#8220;My foremost priority is ensuring patients grasp their diagnosis, empowering them to make informed health care decisions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer>&ndash;<cite> Jenna Tozzi, RN, Chief Patient Care Advisor for Mesothelioma Hope<\/cite><\/footer><\/blockquote><style type=\"text\/css\">.blockquote-w-image{position:relative;margin:40px auto}.blockquote-w-image blockquote{background:none;border-left:none;padding:25px;margin-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote p{margin-bottom:0}.blockquote-w-image img{width:100px;border:none;border-radius:100%;box-shadow:none;position:relative;margin:0 auto}.blockquote-w-image.alternative{margin:60px auto}.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote{padding:25px 25px 25px 80px;padding-bottom:25px;background-color:#E4F4F6}.blockquote-w-image.alternative img{position:absolute;left:20px;top:25px;z-index:1;width:50px;border:1px solid #fff;box-shadow:0 0 10px rgba(34,34,34,0.2);border-radius:100%}.blockquote-w-image.with-border{background:none;border-left:4px solid #0FAEBF}.blockquote-w-image.with-border blockquote{background:none;border-radius:0;padding:10px 25px}.blockquote-w-image.with-border blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote:before{display:none}@media screen and (min-width: 769px){.blockquote-w-image img{position:absolute;left:0;top:0}.blockquote-w-image blockquote{padding:0 25px 0 125px;min-height:90px}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote{padding-left:105px}.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote footer cite{font-size:16px}.entry-content .blockquote-w-image.alternative img{width:60px;left:25px}}<\/style><\/div>\n<p>Our compassionate team can help you at every step of your mesothelioma journey, offering personalized guidance and a listening ear.<\/p>\n<p>Call us now at <strong><a href=\"tel:+18666088933\" title=\"Click to call (866) 608-8933\" class=\"in-content-tel-link\" data-ce-category=\"Click to Call\" data-ce-label=\"(866) 608-8933\">(866) 608-8933<\/a> <\/strong>or use our <a href=\"\/get-matched\/\">Free Doctor Match service<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each year, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) updates its guidelines to reflect the latest research and treatment options for various cancers, including mesothelioma. In March 2025, our Oncology Nurse Navigator Liz Logan attended the NCCN Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, where the most recent updates to the pleural mesothelioma guidelines were shared. These latest&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":24311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mesothelioma-treatment"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24314\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}