Improving cancer testing from pleural (chest) fluid
Comprehensive Analysis of Best Practices for Clinical Testing of Malignant Pleural Effusion Specimens
Researchers are using DNA found in chest fluid to try to make cancer testing faster and less invasive for people with advanced cancers that cause pleural effusions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177054 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have cancer-related fluid around your lung, this project compares the usual cell-pellet testing to using the cell-free DNA found in the fluid's liquid portion. Teams will standardize how fluid is collected, processed, and tested and will compare results across multiple laboratories. The work uses thoracentesis samples already removed for clinical care and analyzes paired samples to see which methods give the clearest molecular answers. The goal is to create practical, shared best practices so testing is more reliable and timely for patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with advanced cancer who have a malignant pleural effusion and are undergoing thoracentesis to remove chest fluid would be the ideal candidates for involvement or sample contribution.
Not a fit: Patients without pleural effusions or whose diagnostic needs depend on other tissue sites are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide accurate tumor DNA results faster and with less need for repeat or invasive tissue biopsies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior small studies have found tumor mutations in pleural fluid cfDNA, but broad standardized benchmarking and agreed best-practice workflows are still limited.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Devine, Walter Patrick — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Devine, Walter Patrick
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.