Study Activities: Patients will be randomized to either the standard daily drainage group or the talc instilled via tunneled pleural catheter combined with standard daily drainage group. Patients will complete questionnaires regarding their health. If you are randomized to the talc group, you will receive talc infused through the tunneled pleural catheter. If you are randomized to the standard daily drainage group, you will not receive any additional therapy. Patients will complete a drainage diary for everyday they drain fluid which will provide information on drainage volume, fluid color, pain, and complications. At 30 days and 90 days post randomization, patients will return to clinic for follow-up, at which time they will have a physical exam, chest x-ray, and complete questionnaires regarding their health.~Risks/Safety Issues: Risks associated with talc include fever and pain. Less likely risks associated with talc include infection, dyspnea, hypoxemia, pneumonia, unilateral pulmonary edema, hemoptysis, pulmonary emboli, and bronchopleural fistula.
The purpose of this study is to compare the experiences of subjects who drain malignant (cancerous) pleural effusions (fluid) from around their lung(s) in a more frequent manner using a talc instilled via tunneled pleural catheter combined with daily drainage and those subjects who drain this fluid in a daily standard manner.