Medical oncology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The palliative treatment with intrapleural streptokinase in patients with multiloculated malignant pleural effusion: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study.
Expansion of the lung is necessary for successful pleurodesis therapy in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). However, this is often impossible in multiloculated MPEs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the fibrinolytic agent, streptokinase, on pleurodesis therapy used in the management of multiloculated MPE. ⋯ The dyspnea symptoms disappeared in 90 % of the patients in the fibrinolytic group and in 55 % of the patients in the control group (P = 0.03). Recurrence rate was 11 % in fibrinolytic group and 45 % in control group (P = 0.07). Streptokinase is a reliable treatment option in obtaining effective pleural drainage and increasing lung expansion in patients with multiloculated MPE.