Intracavitary therapeutics for pleural malignancies

Abstract

Pleural malignancies are ideal for novel therapeutic approaches because they are invariably fatal. Intrapleural (IP) chemotherapy has only marginal benefit in pleural malignancies, but may prove efficacious with hyperthermic chemotherapy administered in combination with maximal tumor debulking. IP immunotherapies may be most effective in those patients with early-stage pleural malignancy, and may prove superior to standard pleurodesis methods in control of effusion and prolongation of survival. Immunogene therapy may be unable to successfully treat bulky tumors on its own, but success may be achieved with combination approaches that combine debulking surgery and chemotherapy with IP genetic immunotherapy.

Keywords: Intracavitary therapeutics; Malignancy; Pleural; Tumors.