Viscum Pleurodesis is As Effective As Talc Pleurodesis and Tends to Have Less Adverse Effect

Overview

Journal Support Care Cancer

Specialties Critical Care
Oncology

Date 2020 Mar 14

PMID 32166382

Citations 3

Authors

Yongjin Chang

DeogGon Cho

KyuDo Cho

MinSeop Cho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Many patients diagnosed with advanced cancer have malignant pleural effusion that does not respond to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. These patients often have respiratory symptoms, especially dyspnea. In order to relieve these symptoms, various procedures including chemical pleurodesis have been performed. Although talc is the most widely used and effective sclerosing agent, there it has various adverse effects. The objective of this study was to determine whether Viscum (ABNOVA Viscum® Fraxini Injection, manufactured by ABNOVA GmbH, Germany) could be used as an agent to replace talc in clinical practice.

Methods: Data of 56 patients with malignant pleural effusion who received chemical pleurodesis after tube thoracostomy from January 2003 to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed to analyze clinical course and response after pleurodesis with each agent.

Results: After pleurodesis, changes in numeric rating scale (NRS) was 1.4 ± 1.6 in the talc group and 0.5 ± 1.5 in the Viscum group (p = 0.108). Changes in white blood cell counts after pleurodesis were 4154.8 ± 6710.7 in the talc group and 3487.3 ± 6067.7 in the Viscum group (p = 0.702). Changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) were 9.03 ± 6.86 in the talc group and 6.3 ± 7.5 in the Viscum group (p = 0.366). The success rate of pleurodesis was 93.3% in the talc group and 96% in the Viscum group (p = 0.225).

Conclusion: Viscum pleurodesis showed comparable treatment results with talc pleurodesis while its adverse effects such as chest pain and fever tended to be relatively weak.

Citing Articles

Malignant Pleural Effusion: Diagnosis and Treatment-Up-to-Date Perspective.

Orlandi R, Cara A, Cassina E, Degiovanni S, Libretti L, Pirondini E Curr Oncol. 2024; 31(11):6867-6878.

PMID: 39590138 PMC: 11593232. DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31110507.

Which is the More Effective Option for Pleurodesis to Prevent the Recurrence of Malignant Pleural Effusion? Large-Particle Talc or Mistletoe Extract (ABNOVA Viscum Injection).

Han C, Lee J, Cho J, Ahn H J Chest Surg. 2023; 56(5):353-358.

PMID: 37574878 PMC: 10480396. DOI: 10.5090/jcs.23.030.

Simultaneous Viscum pleurodesis and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) bullectomy in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Jung H, Kim H Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):22934.

PMID: 34824319 PMC: 8617264. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02224-z.

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