# Pleurodesis and indwelling pleural catheter

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/pleurodesis/  
OnCo record `pleurodesis` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Ways to stop fluid repeatedly collecting around the lung: either glue the two pleural layers together with talc, or leave a small tunnelled drain the patient empties at home.

## Summary

Malignant pleural effusion causes breathlessness in lung, breast and mesothelioma patients. Draining it (thoracentesis) helps for days; talc pleurodesis via chest tube or VATS seals the space in about 70%; an indwelling pleural catheter allows outpatient management with fewer hospital days (TIME2, AMPLE) and can itself produce pleurodesis. Choice depends on lung re-expansion, prognosis and preference; pleurodesis has no effect on the underlying cancer.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: pleurodesis; indwelling pleural catheter; talc pleurodesis; thoracentesis; pleural drainage

## Notes

- Lung cancer: NICE NG122 (1.15.2) says to offer talc pleurodesis to people who would experience long-term symptomatic benefit from aspiration or drainage of fluid. Cancer Research UK explains what to expect: the fluid drains slowly, because draining a large amount too quickly can drop your blood pressure or make you more breathless as the lung re-expands; a pleurodesis usually means a couple of nights in hospital or longer; and where fluid keeps coming back some people go home with a thin indwelling chest tube with a valve, drained at hospital or sometimes at home with a nurse's help.

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurodesis
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurodesis
- Cancer Research UK: fluid on the lungs (pleural effusion): https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/breathing-problems/fluid-on-lungs-pleural-effusion
- NICE NG122: lung cancer, palliative interventions and supportive and palliative care: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng122/chapter/Palliative-interventions-and-supportive-and-palliative-care

## Connected records

- terms: [Malignant pleural effusion](https://onco.cc/terms/malignant-pleural-effusion/), [Malignant pleural effusion and ascites](https://onco.cc/terms/pleural-effusion/), [Pleura](https://onco.cc/terms/pleura/)
- cancers: [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/), [Mesothelioma](https://onco.cc/cancers/mesothelioma/), [Non-small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/nsclc/), [Small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/sclc/)
- fronts: [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/pleurodesis.json