[Treatment of pleural effusion caused by lung carcinoma with circular intrapleural hyperthermic perfusion and its mechanism]

Abstract

Objective: To assess the comprehensive effectiveness of intrapleural hyperthermic perfusion in treatment of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) caused by lung carcinoma and to explore its nechanism.

Methods: 45 patients with MPE caused by lung carcinoma underwent circular intrapleural hyperthermic perfusion with 43 warmed normal saline for 60 minutes. Response of pleural effusion and the original lung tumor, sife-effects, life qualty and survival time of the patients were followed up. Flow cytometry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and TUNEL method were used to compare the cytology and biochemistry of pleural effusion and cancer cells planted to the surface of pleura before and after the therapy.

Results: The control rate of pleural effusion was 100% (CR 93.3%, PR 6.7%). No recurrence of pleural effusion was observed in 44 cases. Pleural effusion reoccured 12 months after the thermotherapy in one case. The time without pleural effusion lasted 16.5 months on average with the longest time of 40 months. CT performed one month after the thermotherapy in 13 cases showed that the primary focus in lung dwindled in 13 cases, and remained unchanged in 5 cases. Neither operative death nor post-operative complication was found. The life quality was improved in all the cases. The medium survival time was 16.8 months. One-year survival rate was 87%. One case survived more than 3 years, 4 cases survives more than 2 years (29, 30, 31, and 40 months respectively). Carcinoembryonic antigen decreased to normal and no carcinoma cell was found in pleural effusion. Flow cytometry showed that the tumor heteroploid peak diasappeared. Pyknosis and disintegration of nuclei, and apoptotic bodies of tumor cells planted on the surface of pleura were found by optical and electron microscopy. TUNEL showed apoptotic cells with brilliant yellow fluorescence.

Conclusion: (1) Circular intrapleural hyperthermic perfusion is a new, safe, and effective treatment for MPE. (2) Apoptosis-mediated cytocidal function, improvement of body immunity after hyperthermic perfusion and continuous wash of the perfusion fluid are important mechanisms of intrapleural hyperthermic perfusion in treatment of MPE caused by lung carcinoma.