Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, also known as systemic therapy, uses oral or infusion-based medications to kill
cancer cells throughout your body. Chemotherapy is used both before (neoadjuvant) and after
(adjuvant) surgery, as well as in people who don’t qualify for surgery. It is also used in the
palliative setting to reduce pain and improve quality of life.

The most commonly used chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma are:

• Cisplatin
• Pemetrexed (Alimta®)
• Raltitrexed (Tomudex)
• Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
•  Irinotecan (Camptosar)
• Irinotecan (Camptosar)
•  Mitomycin
• Gemcitabine
•  Carboplatin