Malignant effusion, treatment

S. H. Seal et al., The treatment of malignant effusions with radioactive colloidal gold (Au-198) — review of 66 cases", American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 75(5), 1027-1033 (1958). 

Masuno T, Kishimoto S, Ogura T, Honma T, Niitani H, Fukuoka M, Ogawa N. A comparative trial of LC9018 plus doxorubicin and doxorubicin alone for the treatment of malignant pleural effusion secondary to lung cancer. Cancer 1991 68(7) 1495-500. 

When bleomycin is used as a sclerosing agent in adults, a dose of up to 1 mg/kg is generally instilled into the chest through a thoracostomy tube. Bleomycin 60 mg intrapleu-rally caused a fever over 39°C in two of 21 patients with malignant pleural effusions it settled without treatment and was not associated with local discomfort (15). 

Inactivated Corynebacterium parvum has been tried as an adjuvant in patients with cancer and in the treatment of malignant pleural effusions. Fever and chiUs were frequent, with sustained fever and chest or abdominal pain in several patients (1,2). 

Advances in tumor biology, recombinant antibody technology, and radio synthetic chemistry have led to a flurry of activity in the development and clinical application of endoradiotherapeutic agents. However, it is important to bear in mind that radionuclide therapy is actually not a new concept, having been used in patients for more than 60 years. A number of textbooks provide excellent chronicles of early efforts in radionuclide therapy (Spencer 1978 Harbert 1987 Spencer et al. 1987). A notable example is sodium [ ijiodide, which has been utilized for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinomas and remains the most widely utilized targeted radiotherapeutic in current clinical use. Radiocolloids such as those labeled with either Au or have been used for more than 50 years for the treatment of diseases such as malignant pleural effusions and intraperitoneal tumors. 

Rosso R, Rimoldi R, Salvati F, DePalma M, Cinquegrana A Nicolo G, Ardizzoni A, Fusco U, Capaccio A, Cento nti R, Neri M, Cniciani AR, Maisto L. Intrapleural natural beta interferon in the treatment of malignant pleural effusions. Oncology 1988 45 253 256. 

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