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Updated: Sep 17, 2026

Local Anesthetic Thoracoscopy for Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion
Published on: November 10, 2023
Risk of lung injury with immune checkpoint inhibitors after talc pleurodesis: A retrospective study
Susumu Tanaka1, Koichiro Nozaki1, Satoshi Watanabe1
1Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
Introduction:
The safety of administering immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) after talc pleurodesis, particularly the impact of talc on the development of immune-related interstitial lung disease (ILD), remains unclear.
Methods:
We retrospectively analysed patients with primary lung cancer or malignant pleural mesothelioma who received ICIs within 90 days of talc pleurodesis at facilities participating in the Niigata Lung Cancer Treatment Study Group between November 2016 and June 2023.
Results:
A total of 52 cases were included, with 17 patients (32.7 %) developing ILD following ICI administration. The median time to ILD onset after ICI administration was 62 days. The median overall survival was 6 months in patients who developed ILD and 16.4 months in those who did not (P = 0.081). Among the five patients with pre-existing interstitial changes, four (80.0 %) developed ILD after ICI administration, identifying a high-risk subgroup.
Conclusion:
A high incidence of ILD was observed in patients who received ICI therapy after talc pleurodesis. Additionally, overall survival tended to be shorter in patients who developed ILD.
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