Abstract
Forty-four lung cancer patients with malignant pleural effusions were studied. For the treatment of pleural effusions, both BCG-CWS and anticancer drugs were instilled intrapleurally through thoracentesis or tube thoracostomy in 21 patients. Effusions were disappeared in 100% of 10 patients treated with tube thoracostomy and 37% of 11 patients treated with thoracentesis. In contrast, effusions were disappeared in only 17% of 23 historical control patients treated with the intrapleural instillation of anticancer drugs alone through thoracentesis.
The survival period of those 21 patients treated with BCG-CWS were significantly different from those of the historical control patients (p<0.05).
These results indicate that BCG-CWS not only controls the reaccumulation of pleural effusions, but also is effective to prolong the survival as an immunopotentiator.
