ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT05620329Updated Oct 21, 2026

UNC Pleural Fluid Registry

An observational study in Lung Cancer, Lung Infection and Breast Cancer, sponsored by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-21.

Sponsored by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jan 2018; still recruiting 8 years 9 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
9,999
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Research with biospecimens such as blood, tissue, or body fluids can help researchers understand how the human body works. Researchers can make new tests to find diseases, understand how treatments work, or find new ways to treat a disease. The purpose of this study is to collect biospecimens for research from patients with known or suspected lung cancer. The information learned from the biospecimens may be used in future treatments. The purpose of this protocol is to create a pleural fluid registry for use in future studies.

02

Conditions studied

  • Lung Cancer
  • Lung Infection
  • Breast Cancer
  • Malignant Pleural Effusion
  • Empyema

Keywords

  • biospecimen
  • pleural fluid
  • lung cancer
  • cancer
  • infection
  • breast cancer
03

In context

Lung Neoplasms

5,422 studies on the registry are indexed under Lung Neoplasms; 1,346 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 9,999 is above the median of 200 across 1,434 observational studies indexed under Lung Neoplasms.

Browse Lung Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is the lead sponsor of 429 studies on the registry; 97 are open to participants now.

Of its 33 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 26 (79%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

UNC patients

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.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients who are 18 years or older
  • Inpatients and outpatients
  • Diagnosed with pleural fluid, are referred for and undergo clinically indicated drainage who have clinical evidence of:
  • pulmonary infection (such as fever, leukocytosis, new or worsening infiltrate on chest x-ray, or clinical deterioration) with effusion

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A subject will not be eligible for inclusion in this registry if, in the investigator's (or treating clinician's) opinion, the patient has any concurrent medical condition that may preclude their ability to undergo pleural fluid drainage safely.
  • Incarcerated individuals
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

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.

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.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
9,999 participants (estimated)
Target follow-up
32 Years
Patient registry
Yes
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Pleural Fluid Registry

    Any subject who has pleural fluid buildup from lung cancer, breast cancer, or lung infection

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Creation of a pleural fluid registry

    Biological specimens and corresponding clinical data from subjects will be collected during standard of care procedures and medical record abstraction to support the creation of a pleural fluid registry.

    Time frame: 32 years

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • UNC Lingeberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — There is no plan to share IPD with other researchers.

09

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Minor edits
Nothing that changes what the study is or who can join. Edited: verification date
1 update, last Oct 21, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 21, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05620329
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 17, 2022
Start date
Jan 24, 2018
Primary completion
Jan 24, 2050 (estimated)
Completion
Jan 24, 2050 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 21, 2026

Study contacts

Carmmen Garcia
Contact
carmmene@med.unc.edu
+1 954-336-7499
Luz Cuaboy
Contact
luz_cuaboy@med.unc.edu
+1 954-336-7499
Jason Akulian
principal investigator · UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion