Timing of definitive pleural intervention within systemic anticancer therapy in malignant pleural effusion from high-response lung cancers: a retrospective single-center cohort study

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common and serious complication of advanced lung cancer. Although guidelines recommend early definitive intervention, the optimal timing of talc pleurodesis-based definitive intervention in pharmacologically sensitive tumors remains undefined. This study aimed to evaluate whether early pleural intervention (EPI) is associated with MPE control and clinical outcomes in lung cancers with high-response systemic therapies, and to define a clinically meaningful time threshold for EPI.