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Controversy over Sclerotherapy for Malignant Pleural Effusions
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
TO THE EDITOR:
The comprehensive review by Walker-Renard and colleagues [1] of chemical pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusions claimed to have selected all articles since 1966 involving 1168 patients treated with 13 different agents.
Inexplicably, one of the most important agents, quinacrine, was omitted. Far more commonly used than most of the chemicals discussed, quinacrine is an extremely effective agent. For example, within the last year it was shown to be superior to bleomycin in a randomized study [2]. Two other relevant studies are cited here that allow the reader to access the 20 to 30 articles on the subject, detailing experiences with more than 100 patients [3, 4].
Quinacrine (also known as Atabrine [Sanofi Winthrop, New York, New York] or mepacrine) is an antimalarial drug with potent immunomodulating effects [5]. Although no longer available through its long-time manufacturer, quinacrine can be obtained from more than 2000 compounding pharmacists in the United States.
Daniel J. Wallace, MD
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
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