Diagnostics and epidemiological

• Pleural investigation trial*
  A long-running prospective sample collection study looking to improve the diagnostic and investigation pathways for patients with pleural effusion. A number of publications have arisen from this ongoing project.
• TARGET*
  A national randomised controlled trial exploring whether there is benefit in performing PET-CT guided biopsies in patients with suspected pleural cancer. This study is not yet published.
• ICE database*
  A multinational collaboration looking to collect data about rarer pleural diseases, with the aim of improving understanding for each.
• VIPER*
  An epidemiological study of the change in pleural infection rates over the past decade and the impact of influenza.
• SPOTLight
  The Severn Pleural Outcomes and Therapies: Long-term Insights (SPOTLight) study is a multi-year cohort study, based at Southmead Hospital, looking to improve understanding and diagnostic methods in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions. Funded by The Southmead Hospital Charity and Rocket Medical, SPOTLight will investigate: which biological, radiological, and physiological biomarkers aid in the diagnosis and management of patients with pleural disease, and how these biomarkers and clinical outcomes relate to patient-reported outcome measures and experiences. The study aims to recruit at least 100 patients per year, many of whom will also be invited to participate in public involvement activities. It utilises a flexible, adaptive design to ensure a broad range of research questions can be answered and also aims to support the next generation of successful pleural research at Southmead Hospital, by acting as a platform for future collaborations and grants.