An article published in International Immunopharmacology presented the work of Chinese researchers who analyzed 34 reports on the treatment of malignant pleural effusion using thymic hormones. They found that patients who received thymosins combined with oxaliplatin had better treatment outcomes.

Malignant pleural effusion is a condition where a tumor causes fluid accumulation in the pleura, manifesting as chest pain, a dry, non-productive cough, and breathing difficulties. The most common causes are lung and breast cancers.

In the article, the researchers aimed to determine the most effective form of thymic hormones and the cytostatic drug that yields the best treatment outcomes. They considered thymosins extracted from the thymus, synthetic thymopentin, synthetic Thymosin Alpha 1, and cytostatics: oxaliplatin, cisplatin, lobaplatin, and carboplatin. Based on treatment outcome articles, they identified nine of the most commonly used combinations of thymic hormones and drugs.