International Mesothelioma Program

The International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) is a comprehensive clinical and research program based at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and study of malignant pleural mesothelioma and related asbestos diseases. It combines multidisciplinary patient care with translational research, clinical trials, and a tissue bank, and has been one of the leading centers in the world for aggressive surgical approaches to mesothelioma.

Origin

The IMP was founded in 2002 by thoracic surgeon Dr. David Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women's Hospital, building on his earlier work pioneering extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and multimodal therapy for mesothelioma during the 1990s. After Dr. Sugarbaker's departure, the program has continued under the leadership of other thoracic oncology specialists at the Brigham and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Significance in Asbestos Context

For patients newly diagnosed with mesothelioma, the IMP represents one of a small number of high-volume specialty centers where survival outcomes have historically been better than at general oncology practices, in part because of surgical expertise, clinical trial access, and experienced pathology review. Getting a second opinion at a dedicated mesothelioma center like the IMP (or peers such as MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, the University of Pennsylvania, or UCLA) can change a treatment plan, confirm or correct the histologic subtype, and open eligibility for trials of newer immunotherapy and targeted regimens. Records from evaluation at a recognized mesothelioma center also tend to carry weight in legal claims, because the diagnosis and causation opinions come from physicians whose entire practice focuses on this disease.

Example Sentence

After her initial biopsy came back as epithelioid mesothelioma, she traveled to Boston for a second opinion at the International Mesothelioma Program before deciding whether surgery was the right path for her.

Related Terms

Mesothelioma, Extrapleural Pneumonectomy, Pleurectomy/Decortication, Multimodal Therapy, Second Opinion, Tissue Bank

Notes

• Ask your local oncologist for a referral or self-refer to the IMP early, ideally before any major surgery, because treatment options narrow quickly once initial interventions are done.
• Request that your pathology slides, imaging (CT, PET, MRI), and operative reports be sent to the IMP for review; subtype reclassification (epithelioid vs. biphasic vs. sarcomatoid) can change prognosis and trial eligibility.
• Ask about enrollment in clinical trials and whether tissue banking is offered; banked tissue may benefit your own future treatment decisions and contributes to research that helps later patients.
• Keep copies of all evaluation letters, pathology reports, and treatment summaries from the IMP. These specialist records are often important evidence in legal claims regarding diagnosis and causation.
• If travel to Boston is not feasible, ask whether the program offers remote pathology or imaging second opinions and telemedicine consultations.