{"entity":{"id":"pleurodesis","kind":"term","name":"Pleurodesis and indwelling pleural catheter","aka":["pleurodesis","indwelling pleural catheter","talc pleurodesis","thoracentesis","pleural drainage"],"tldr":"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.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurodesis","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurodesis"},{"label":"Cancer Research UK: fluid on the lungs (pleural effusion)","url":"https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/breathing-problems/fluid-on-lungs-pleural-effusion"},{"label":"NICE NG122: lung cancer, palliative interventions and supportive and palliative care","url":"https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng122/chapter/Palliative-interventions-and-supportive-and-palliative-care"}],"tags":[],"related":["pleura","pleural-effusion"],"cancers":["mesothelioma","nsclc","lung-cancer","sclc"],"sections":["supportive-care"],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"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."],"category":"Procedures"},"route":"/terms/pleurodesis/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"malignant-pleural-effusion","kind":"term","name":"Malignant pleural effusion","route":"/terms/malignant-pleural-effusion/"},{"id":"pleural-effusion","kind":"term","name":"Malignant pleural effusion and ascites","route":"/terms/pleural-effusion/"},{"id":"pleura","kind":"term","name":"Pleura","route":"/terms/pleura/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"lung-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Lung cancer (all types)","route":"/cancers/lung-cancer/"},{"id":"mesothelioma","kind":"cancer","name":"Mesothelioma","route":"/cancers/mesothelioma/"},{"id":"nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/nsclc/"},{"id":"sclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/sclc/"}],"section":[{"id":"supportive-care","kind":"section","name":"Supportive Care & Survivorship","route":"/fronts/supportive-care/"}]}}