After prolonged deliberations, the United States Government approved the treatment of malignant mesothelioma treatment using chemotherapy. The drug pemetrexed is given with cisplatin for the treatment and sometimes folic acid is used for reduction of side effects caused by the treatment.

When immunotherapy was first tried on the mesothelioma patients using the BCG and similar other medications, they yielded no results. Though use of interleukin-2 gave certain positive results, the after effects were painful and unacceptable to the patients.

Thus high levels of L2 became inoperative in the treatment. However use of interferon alpha proved more useful and could cause a reduction by 50% of the tumor mass and the side effects were minimal even after the mesothelioma treatments.

On the other hand the heated and intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, an invention by Paul Sugarbaker, is the process where the treating physician will remove as much tumor as practicable. This is achieved by direct administering of some chemotherapy agent that is heated in the temperature in the range of forty degrees to forty eight degree Celsius. The fluid that has conglomerated is first heated and then drained out.

The above technique is useful for administering high concentrations of drugs in the abdominal as well as the pelvic surfaces of the patient. Heat enhances the penetration capability of the drug inside the tissues affected while causing damage to the malignant cells helping the mesothelioma doctor in draining them.