Abstract
Introduction: Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are a commonly encountered clinical problem in patients with lung cancer, contributing to a poor quality of life in this group of patients. Chemical pleurodesis using various sclerosing agents is an accepted palliative therapy for patients with recurrent, symptomatic MPE.
Methods: 100 patients (75 men, 25 women), from 40 to 78 years of age, following-up for lung cancer with biopsy proven malignant pleural effusions were evaluated in a retrospective study. Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) talc pleurodesis was done in all patients.
Results: The VATS talc pleurodesis was successful in all patients. It resulted in clinically significant improvement of dyspnea and chest pain in respectively 90% and 80% of patients. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) was consideredbefore an attempt at pleurodesis, variable from 50 to 90%. The mean duration of postoperative survival was 8 months. Recurrent pleural effusion occurred in 5% of patients after a mean interval of 6 months. The mean duration of survival was 4.2 months.
Conclusions: The VATS talc pleurodesis is appropriate for palliation of patients with recurrent, symptomatic malignant pleural effusions and should be performed once the diagnosis has been confirmed. It is a simple and acceptable procedure with high efficacy for controlling MPE, especially when used in appropriate patients.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
