Abstract
Malignant pleural effusions can destroy quality of life in patients with advanced cancer. The majority of patients with malignant pleural effusions will develop symptoms that necessitate intervention. Quality of life is enhanced by alleviating symptoms and reducing interactions with the healthcare system, while minimizing treatment-related complications. We evaluate the use of indwelling pleural catheters versus pleurodesis for the management of symptomatic malignant pleural effusions. We recommend that for patients with recurrent symptomatic malignant pleural effusions, placement of an indwelling pleural catheter or talc pleurodesis is equally appropriate and efficacious for the relief of dyspnea. In contrast, for patients with recurrent symptomatic malignant pleural effusions, indwelling pleural catheter placement is superior to talc pleurodesis based on the reduced number of hospital days and need for reinterventions.
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Morgan, C.T., McCarthy, D.P., DeCamp, M.M. (2020). Indwelling Pleural Catheters Versus Talc Pleurodesis for Recurrent Symptomatic Malignant Pleural Effusions. In: Ferguson, M. (eds) Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery. Difficult Decisions in Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47404-1_51
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47404-1_51
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