Surgery
The sheet of tissue covering the organs of your tummy (abdomen) is called the peritoneum. Mesothelioma that starts in the peritoneum is called peritoneal mesothelioma.
The peritoneum helps to protect the contents of your abdomen and keep them in place. It also makes a lubricating fluid that helps the organs inside move smoothly against each other as you move around.
Only a small number of people can have surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of surgery is called complete cytoreductive surgery. It is a major operation.
Whether cytoreductive surgery is suitable for you depends on:
if the surgeon thinks they can remove the mesothelioma completely
the type of mesothelioma
the location of the mesothelioma in your tummy
if you are well enough to have the operation
The operation will be done by a surgeon who is experienced in treating peritoneal mesothelioma. You might need to travel to a specialist hospital for this type of surgery.
In this operation the surgeon removes the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). This is called a peritonectomy.
The aim of cytoreductive surgery is to remove the whole peritoneum and as much of the cancer as possible. This is sometimes called debulking surgery.
The surgeon may also need to remove nearby affected organs such as the gallbladder, spleen and part of the bowel. If you need part of the bowel removed, you may need to have a . This is where the bowel is brought onto the surface of the tummy. You wear a bag over the stoma to collect your poo. The stoma might be temporary or permanent.
Read more about having a stoma
You might also need to have your womb and ovaries removed depending on your situation.
Your surgeon will tell you more about the type of operation you might need.
During the operation, the surgeon might give chemotherapy straight into your abdominal cavity. This is called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). This is only an option for a small number of people.
HIPEC treatment means having warm chemotherapy pumped into your abdominal cavity. They usually use a chemotherapy drug called cisplatin or doxorubicin. It aims to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Once the surgeon has removed the cancer, they put some small plastic tubes (drains) into your abdomen. These are connected to a special HIPEC machine. The HIPEC machine warms the chemotherapy and pumps it around your abdomen. The chemotherapy stays in your abdomen for around 90 minutes. It is then drained back out of the abdomen into a drainage bag outside of your body.
Research has shown that cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy improves survival.
Find out about chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma
Your doctor might ask if you’d like to take part in a clinical trial. Doctors and researchers do trials to make existing treatments better and develop new treatments.
Last reviewed: 06 Nov 2026
Next review due: 06 Nov 2029
Peritoneal mesothelioma is often diagnosed when it is quite advanced. Unfortunately it can be difficult to treat. Treatment options include chemotherapy and a few people might have surgery.
Surgery isn't a common treatment for mesothelioma. You might have surgery to control and relieve symptoms. The surgery might also help you live longer.
Practical and emotional support are available to help you cope with a diagnosis of mesothelioma, both during and after treatment.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that most commonly starts in the sheets of skin-like tissue that cover each lung (the pleura). More rarely it starts in the sheet of tissue in the abdomen that covers the digestive system organs (the peritoneum).
