An interventional study of Pleurodesis via Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and Indwelling pleural catheter (with talc pleurodesis if suitable) in Malignant Pleural Effusion, Respiratory Disease and Cancer, sponsored by The University of Western Australia. Completed at 1 site in Australia. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-05.
Sponsored by The University of Western Australia · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this study is to determine if an indwelling catheter is more effective than surgical pleurodosis in treating malignant pleural effusion.
Who is it for?
You may be eligible for this study if you are an adult who is suffering from symptomatic proven pleural malignancy or an otherwise unexplained pleural effusion.
Study details
Consenting participants will be randomised to one of two treatment arms:
Participants will then be followed up at discharge, 14 days, monthly for 6 months and then every 3 months up to one year post-procedure. These visits will include completion of Quality of Life questionnaires, a chest xray, an ultrasound (if thought necessary) and if you are at the lead site (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital) a review of your Actigraphy logs up to 6 months after discharge.
It is hoped this research will help to provide effective symptom control with minimal intervention for those with malignant pleural effusion.
Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two arms:
Arm 1: Indwelling pleural catheter (with talc pleurodesis if suitable) Arm 2: Pleurodesis via Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Arm 1: Indwelling pleural catheter is a long-term catheter that is tunnelled under the skin and allows ongoing drainage of pleural fluid by the patient or carer at home. It is inserted using local anaesthetic with or without sedation depending on local practice. An experienced respiratory physician inserts the catheter. Once the catheter is inserted, the pleural fluid will be evacuated as completely as possible. If the lung fully re-expands and there is no contraindication to talc pleurodesis, 4-5g of sterile graded talc will be instilled via the IPC. The participant will then be discharged on a daily drainage regimen for 14 days. The drainage will either be performed by the participant's carer or nurses in the community. A bottle or bag will be attached to the drain to allow for removal of accumulated pleural fluid. Once completed the drain will be reattached to the pleural catheter. At review in clinic on day 14 (+/- 2 days), the participant will be assessed for spontaneous pleurodesis (\<50ml drainage on 3 consecutive drainage attempts). If pleurodesis has occurred and there is no residual symptomatic effusion, arrangements will be made for IPC removal. Otherwise the participant will switch to a symptom-guided drainage regimen. If the lung does not fully re-expand following complete fluid evacuation, they will be discharged on a symptom-guided regimen without instillation of talc. The drainage regimen will continue for the duration of the study and beyond if pleurodesis has not occurred and pleural fluid continues to accumulate. All participants will remain under the care of their study doctors who are also their usual physicians, after the end of the study.
Arm 2: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a type of key-hole surgery performed under general anaesthetic and usually single lung ventilation by a cardio-thoracic surgeon. This is expected to take about 1 hour. Between one and three ports are used to insert a camera and instruments into the chest cavity. Adhesions can be broken down if present and the lining of the lung (visceral pleura) can sometimes be removed (decortication) to facilitate lung re-expansion. The surgeon can then perform either mechanical abrasion or talc poudrage to induce inflammation and subsequent pleurodesis. A chest drain is left in situ post-operatively and is removed when the fluid draining is below a certain volume depending on local practice.
Participants in both arms will be reviewed at the same time points - at discharge, 14 days post-procedure, monthly to 6 months, then 3-monthly to 1 year. The reviews will include quality of life and breathlessness questionnaires.
All data will be obtained by the designated study research team who will carry out the IPC insertions and where VATs pleurodesis is undertaken, the research team will liaise directly with the study surgeon.
169 studies on the registry are indexed under Pleural Effusion, Malignant; 39 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 158 is above the median of 55 across 125 interventional studies indexed under Pleural Effusion, Malignant.
Browse Pleural Effusion, Malignant studies →The University of Western Australia is the lead sponsor of 23 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
(ECOG) score = Peformance status defined as a patient's level of functioning in terms of their ability to care for themselves, daily activity, and physical ability (walking, working, etc. ECOG 0-1 (or ECOG greater than or equal to 2 if it is felt that removal of pleural fluid would improve their status to 0 or 1).
Exclusion Criteria:
4. Chylothorax; 5. Pregnancy or lactation; 6. Uncorrectable bleeding diathesis; 7. Previous ipsilateral lobectomy/pneumonectomy; 8. Inability to consent or comply with protocol.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.
Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
ECOG performance status
A scale of how much an illness limits everyday activity. For people being assessed to join a study, scores run from 0 (fully active) to 4; lower is more active.
Studies most often ask for 0–1 or 0–2. Your doctor gives the score; the WHO scale uses the same steps. The full scale also has 5, which records death.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Histologically or cytologically confirmed
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The patients will undertake daily drainage to day 14 post insertion. The drainage will either be performed by the participant's carer or nurses in the community. A bottle or bag will be attached to the drain to allow for removal of accumulated pleural fluid. Once completed the drain will be reattached to the pleural catheter. Participants will be taught how to perform pleural drainage by the main study doctor at the hospital or a specialist nurse. They will drain their own IPCs at home with the either the help of a family member or friend or have access to community nursing support systems.
Device: Indwelling pleural catheter (with talc pleurodesis if suitable)
Participants will undergo VATS within two weeks of randomisation. VATS is usually performed in an operating theatre, using either general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia with sedation. The pleural fluid will be removed and adhesions can be divided (adhesiolysis). Assessment of lung re-expansion will be performed intra-operatively. If lung re-expansion is adequate (as judged by the operating surgeon), a variety of techniques may be employed to induce a pleurodesis, including, but not limited to, talc poudrage and mechanical abrasion. Decortication may be performed if deemed appropriate and feasible by the operating surgeon. A chest drain will be left in situ after the surgery. Post-operative care will be administered as per local practice.
Procedure: Pleurodesis via Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a type of key-hole surgery performed under general anaesthetic and usually single lung ventilation by a cardio-thoracic surgeon. This is expected to take about 1 hour. Between one and three ports are used to insert a camera and instruments into the chest cavity. Adhesions can be broken down if present and the lining of the lung (visceral pleura) can sometimes be removed (decortication) to facilitate lung re-expansion. The surgeon can then perform either mechanical abrasion or talc poudrage to induce inflammation and subsequent pleurodesis. A chest drain is left in situ post-operatively and is removed when the fluid draining is below a certain volume depending on local practice.
Once the indwelling pleural catheter is inserted, the pleural fluid will be evacuated as completely as possible. If the lung fully re-expands, 4-5g of sterile graded talc will be instilled via the IPC. The participant will then be discharged on a daily drainage regimen for 14 days. At review in clinic on day 14, the participant will be assessed for spontaneous pleurodesis (\<50ml drainage on 3 consecutive drainage attempts). If pleurodesis has occurred and there is no residual symptomatic effusion, arrangements will be made for IPC removal. Otherwise the participant will switch to a symptom-guided drainage regimen. If the lung does not fully re-expand following complete fluid evacuation, they will be discharged on a symptom-guided regimen without instillation of talc. The drainage regimen will continue for the duration of the study and beyond if pleurodesis has not occurred and pleural fluid continues to accumulate.
Need for an ipsilateral pleural intervention
Proportion of participants requiring an ipsilateral (on the same side) pleural procedure for management of symptomatic re-accumulation of pleural fluid including surgical procedure, chest drain insertion, attempted therapeutic thoracentesis. This is a composite outcome. Data will be obtained from the participants and the hospital record.
Time frame: Participants will be followed for a maximum of 12 months or until death if sooner.
Need for repeat ipsilateral pleural intervention including diagnostic aspiration
Proportion of participants requiring an ipsilateral pleural procedure including diagnostic aspirate. Data will be obtained from the participants and the hospital record.
Time frame: The study is for 12 months or until death if prior.
Time to symptomatic effusion recurrence
Time to effusion recurrence - will be assessed using chest x-ray and ultrasound at each visit. Recurrent effusion is defined as greater than 25% opacity on chest x-ray on the side of the intervention as judged by two independent clinicians and evidence of pleural fluid on ultrasound.
Time frame: The study is for 12 months or until death if prior.
All-cause hospital days
Length of stay post-procedure and hospitalization for any cause (except for elective admissions for chemotherapy) will be recorded for all patients post randomisation. Admissions will be analysed as total admission days and also pleural-related admission days. The data will be collected from participants and the hospital records.
Time frame: The study is for 12 months or until death if prior.
Degree of breathlessness
Degree of breathlessness will be measured by a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The VAS is a 100mm line anchored with "no breathlessness" at 0mm and "worst breathlessness imaginable" at 100mm.
Time frame: Scores will be recorded daily for 28 days, then monthly to 6 months and 3-monthly until 12 months.
Pain scale
Pain will be assessed using a 100mm visual analogue scale. The 100mm horizontal line will be anchored with "no pain" at 0mm and "worst pain imaginable" at 100mm.
Time frame: Scores will be recorded daily for 28 days, monthly to 6 months and then 3-monthly to 12 months
Quality of Life (QoL)
Quality of Life (QoL) will be measured using two instruments: EQ-5D-5L is a standardised measure of HRQoL that comprises five dimensions including mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain//discomfort and anxiety/depression. VAS QoL records self-rated health on a 100mm line anchored with "best imaginable health state" at 0mm and "worst imaginable health state" at 100mm.
Time frame: QoL will be measured at baseline, day 7-10 post-procedure, then monthly to 6 months then 3 monthly to 12 months.
Physical activity patterns
Actigraphy is one part of the study and is an outcome comprising a few different factors. Physical activity patterns, vigorous activity and periods of sedentary behaviour, will be evaluated by a well validated triaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+, Pensacola, FL, USA). Objective physical activity patterns will be assessed by 7-day triaxial accelerometer assessment providing an indication of functional status. The Actigraph device is reliable, with excellent test-retest reproducibility in cancer research and rated as 'user friendly' by both healthy and patient populations.
Time frame: Monthly to 12 months at lead site only.
Adverse events from time of enrolment
Adverse events from randomization until end of follow-up or death. An adverse event is defined as any participant-reported or medical records complications associated with the IPC or VATS pleurodesis, such as pleural infection, cellulitis, pain, symptomatic loculation, tube blockage, catheter tract metastases, parenchymal air leak etc., and any peri/post-procedural complications such as prolonged air-leak, atelectasis, pneumonia, cardiovascular complications, acute kidney injury or drop in haemoglobin requiring transfusion.
Time frame: Assessed continuously up to 12 months.
Overall survival from randomisation.
Overall Survival will be recorded from date of enrolment to death or end of study follow-up. Survival difference between IPC and VATS management of malignant pleural effusion has not been previously studied.
Time frame: From randomisation up to 12 months
Pleural-related hospital days.
Pleural-related hospital days. Length of stay post-procedure and hospitalization for any cause (except for elective admissions for chemotherapy) will be recorded for all patients post randomisation. Admissions will be analysed as total admission days and also pleural-related admission days. The data will be collected from participants and the hospital records.
Time frame: The study is for 12 months or until death if prior.
Plan to share: No
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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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The University of Western Australia