MesoTRAP: A Study Comparing Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Partial Pleurectomy/Decortication With Indwelling Pleural Catheter in Patients With Trapped Lung Due to Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

This is a multi-centre, open-label, randomised controlled pilot clinical trial and feasibility study comparing video-assisted thoracoscopic partial pleurectomy/decortication (VAT-PD) with indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) in patients with trapped lung (TL) and pleural effusion due to malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), aimed at addressing recruitment and randomisation uncertainties as well as sample size requirements for a full phase III study. 38 patients will be randomised and allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either VAT-PD or IPC. The study will be undertaken at mesothelioma surgical centres with expertise in either IPC, VAT-PD or both procedures, together with their linked non-surgical referral hospitals (hub and spoke). Patients meeting all eligibility criteria will be informed about the study, provided with a patient information sheet and given at least 24 hours to consider participation. Following consent, patients will be randomised, baseline measurements will be taken and a procedure date will be arranged. Following the procedure follow-up visits at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months post-randomisation are planned to coincide with clinical care visits. In parallel with the main study an observational sub-study will collect observational data on a cohort of patients who have Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and trapped lung, but who are either not eligible to participate, or who decline to participate in the main study. Patients in the Observational Sub-study will receive the same baseline and follow-up visits as those in the main study, but will receive standard clinical care.