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Abstract

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common complication in advanced malignancies, significantly impairing respiratory function and quality of life. It affects approximately 20% of cancer patients, with lung and breast carcinomas being the leading causes. Pleurodesis using talc is a widely accepted palliative intervention aimed at preventing recurrent fluid accumulation. Despite global data supporting its use, there is a lack of localized evidence evaluating its efficacy in specific population subgroups, warranting further investigation.
Objective: To determine the frequency of success with talc pleurodesis in patients with malignant pleural effusion.
Methods: This descriptive case study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, over six months (August 2, 2024 to February 2, 2025). A total of 100 patients aged 18–65 years with radiologically and clinically confirmed MPE were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. Pleurodesis was performed with 5 grams of sterile talc (Steritalc® F2, France) in 90 mL of saline and 10 mL of 1% lidocaine instilled via chest tube. Success was defined as no radiological recurrence of effusion within 30 days post-procedure. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.
Results: Among 100 patients (mean age 47.5 ± 10.34 years; 69% female), the overall success rate of talc pleurodesis was 71%. A statistically significant association was observed with hypertension, where 81.4% of hypertensive patients experienced success (p = 0.04). No significant associations were found for age (p = 0.29), gender (p > 0.99), BMI (p = 0.66), disease duration (p = 0.97), smoking (p = 0.63), diabetes (p = 0.33), residence (p = 0.32), socioeconomic status (p = 0.97), or procedure time (p = 0.49).
Conclusion: Talc pleurodesis demonstrated considerable efficacy in controlling MPE, with hypertension appearing as a potential predictor of success. These findings support its continued use as a palliative intervention while highlighting the need for further exploration of clinical predictors.