Table 1. Characteristics and quality scores of the included studies.

Author/Year	StudyDesign	Regions	Cancer Types	TalcMethods	ControlTherapies	Follow-up	Quality Scores
Fentiman/1983	RCT	UK	Breast cancer	Poudrage	Mustine	1 m, then 3 monthly, at least 6 m	7
Sorensen/1984	RCT	Denmark	All cancer types	Slurry	Drainage	1 m, then 3 monthly	7
Fentiman/1986	RCT	UK	Breast cancer	Poudrage	Tetracycline	1 m, at least 12 m	7
Hamed/1989	RCT	UK	Breast cancer	Poudrage	Bleomycin	Median follow-up 24 m	5
Lynch/1996	RCT	USA	All cancer types	Slurry	Bleomycin,tetracycline	1 m	7
Yim/1996	RCT	Hong Kong	All cancer types	Poudrage	Talc slurry	6-wk intervals for the first 41/2 mand then every 3 m	7
Zimmer/1997	RCT	USA	All cancer types	Slurry	Bleomycin	2 wk to 8 m	6
Diacon/2000	RCT	Swizerland	All cancer types	Poudrage	Bleomycin	1, 3 and 6 m	7
Ong/2000	RCT	Singapore	All cancer types	Slurry	Bleomycin	1 m	7
Kuzdzal/2003	RCT	Poland	All cancer types	Poudrage	Doxycycline	Until death or end of the study,at least 12 m	7
Haddad/2004	RCT	Brazil	All cancer types	Slurry	Bleomycin	1, 2 and 6 m	6
Crnjac/2004	RCT	Slovenia	All cancer types	Slurry	TMP	1, 3 and 6 m	7
Paschoalini/2005	RCT	Brazil	All cancer types	Slurry	Silver nitrate	1, 2, 3 and 4 m	8
Dresler/2005	RCT	USA	All cancer types	Poudrage	Talc slurry	1 m	7
Stefani/2006	Non-RCT	Italy	All cancer types	Poudrage	Talc slurry	1, 3 m and end of follow-up	5
Das/2008	Non-RCT	India	All cancer types	Slurry	Povidone iodine	6 m	5
Terra/2009	RCT	Brazil	All cancer types	Poudrage	Talc slurry	1, 3 m and every 3 m	7
Mohsen/2011	RCT	UK	Breast cancer	Poudrage	Povidone iodine	Every 3 m	8
Davies/2012	RCT	UK	All cancer types	Slurry	IPC	12 m	7
Demmy/2012	RCT	USA	All cancer types	Slurry	IPC	1 m	7

RCT = randomized controlled trial; TMP = thoracoscopic mechanical pleurodesis; IPC = indwelling pleural catheter.