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Tetracycline and quinacrine in the control of malignant pleural effusions. A randomized trial
Author(s) -
Bayly Timothy C.,
Kisner Daniel L.,
Sybert Allender,
Macdonald John S.,
Tsou Edward,
Schein Philip S.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197803)41:3<1188::aid-cncr2820410357>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - medicine , tetracycline , surgery , malignancy , pleural effusion , effusion , malignant pleural effusion , randomized controlled trial , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Eighteen patients with advanced metastatic malignancy who had 21 pleural effusions requiring sclerosis for control were randomly allocated to intrapleural therapy with tetracycline or quinacrine. Tetracycline produced partial or complete control of the effusion in ten of 12 trials for a median duration of 6 months (range 1.5 to 22 months). Partial or complete control was obtained in nine of ten trials with quinacrine, for a median duration of 3 months (range 1 to 13 months). All complete responders who died achieved control of their effusions until their terminal admissions despite clinical evidence of overt systemic tumor progression in the intervening period. Single‐dose tetracycline therapy was accompanied by less fever (p < 0.04) and less pleuritic pain (p = 0.09) than quinacrine. Tetracycline is effective, well tolerated, easily administered, and should be considered as the initial therapy for malignant pleural effusions requiring pleural sclerosis.