Intracavitary Therapeutics for Pleural Malignancies

Clinics In Chest Medicine 2018 March [Epub 2017 December 13] [Link]

Murthy V, Mangalick K, Sterman DH

Abstract

Pleural malignancies remain a serious therapeutic challenge, and are frequently refractory to standard treatment; however, they have the advantage of occurring in an enclosed cavity readily accessible for examination, biopsy, and serial sampling. Novel therapeutics can be administered via intracavitary delivery to maximize efficacy by targeting the site of involvement and potentially mitigating the adverse effects of systemic therapies. The easy accessibility of the pleural space lends itself well to repeated sampling and analysis to determine efficacy and toxicity of a given treatment paradigm. These factors support the rationale for delivery of novel therapeutics directly into the pleural space.