title: Pleurodesis with recombinant tumour necrosis factor in gynaecological neoplasms.
abstract: Recombinant Tumour Necrosis Factor (rHuTNF) was locally applied to 18 patients with gynaecological tumours and recurrent malignant pleural effusions. Twenty-nine administrations with doses between 0.10 mg and 0.50 mg were carried out. Side-effects were flu-like symptoms (41%), fever/chill (34%), fatigue/malaise (28%), nausea/vomiting (10%), chest pain (14%). A dose-toxicity or dose-response relationship could not be established. Eighty-eight percent of the patients treated with rHuTNF did not suffer from any recurrent effusion within 4 weeks after treatment. Regarding the total survival time after therapy with rHuTNF 78% of all patients did not require any further pleural aspiration. Instillation of rHuTNF appears to be an effective method which can be used for pleurodesis with relatively few side-effects. It is a treatment which can also be applied to patients who are in a poor general state of health. It is especially recommendable since it can be successfully applied even after other pleurodesis devices have failed.
authors.affiliation: Gynäkologische Abteilung, Schlossbergklinik Oberstaufen, Tumorzentrum der Universitäten München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rauthe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sistermanns
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018700:Pleurodesis / Q000379:methods*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha