Back to search results

Indwelling Pleural Catheters With or Without Doxycycline for Malignant Pleural Effusions

This study is looking at how well indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs), which are tubes placed to drain fluid from around the lungs, work to treat malignant pleural effusions (MPE), which is fluid buildup caused by cancer. It compares using IPCs alone versus using IPCs with doxycycline, an antibiotic that can also help reduce fluid buildup. The main goal is to see if adding doxycycline can shorten the time you need to have the IPC in place. You may be able to join if you are an outpatient getting an IPC or an inpatient expected to go home soon after getting one. The study is currently observing patients, and aims to enroll 208 participants.

Study design
This is an observational study, meaning participants choose one of two groups: IPC alone or IPC with doxycycline. It aims to enroll 208 participants.
What's involved
You will receive an indwelling pleural catheter. If you are in Group I, you will also receive doxycycline via the IPC 5 days later. You will have follow-up visits at 10-14 days and then monthly for up to a year.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants are followed up at 10-14 days and then monthly for up to a year after treatment.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT03465774

Indwelling Pleural Catheters With or Without Doxycycline in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Effusions

Recruiting
Not specifiedAges 18+Observational
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
~208 participants
Updated 2026-03-05 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:DoxycyclineIndwelling CatheterQuality-of-Life AssessmentQuestionnaire AdministrationSurvey Administration

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Time to pleural catheter removal
Measured over Up to 1 year

Conditions

Pleural Neoplasm

Explore related trials

Pleural Neoplasm

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Texas1

Study leadership

  • David Ost · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Who to contact

David Ost
[email protected]
713-792-6238
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Outpatients with MPE undergoing IPC placement
Sufficient mental capacity to provide informed consent and answer Short-Form Six-Dimension health index (SF-6D) and Borg score questions
Inpatients that are expected to be discharged within 5 days of receiving an indwelling pleural catheter

Exclusion

Patients undergoing pleurodesis for benign disease (e.g., spontaneous pneumothorax)
Inability or unwillingness to give informed consent
Inability to perform phone call and clinical follow-up at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC)
Pregnancy
Previous intrapleural therapy for MPE on the same side
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) of 4 and life expectancy =\< 2 weeks
Doxycycline allergy
Extensive loculations or hydropneumothorax or other contraindication to pleurodesis
Chylous effusions associated with malignant disease

What this trial measures

  • Time to pleural catheter removalUp to 1 year

    This outcome will be analyzed by cause-specific hazard Cox model with treatment group as a covariate. Whenever a catheter is removed, the cause for removal will be documented. For the analysis, causes will include removal due to decreased drainage (i.e., as per plan) as well as removal due to complications (e.g. infection, empyema, refractory pain) or other reasons (e.g. catheter plugged but no complication to the patient, patient preference without a complication). We will also analyze time to catheter removal for any cause and conduct pre-specified secondary analyses to evaluate the effect of fluid drainage amount (i.e., how much was being put out from the indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) the day of IPC placement and on the day of doxycycline instillation) and size of residual effusion as assessed by chest x-ray (CXR) (on day of IPC placement and day of doxycycline instillation) on time to catheter removal.