Pleural effusion in lung cancer.
Pleural effusions are common in the setting of lung cancer. A pleural effusion associated with lung cancer is an ominous finding, but a small percentage of patients are candidates for curative surgery. The clinician must establish whether the effusion is malignant, excluding the possibility of curative surgery; paramalignant, which may or may not exclude surgery; or whether it is unassociated with cancer. When a malignant pleural effusion is diagnosed, the clinician must decide on the most appropriate form of palliation for the symptomatic patient. In the symptomatic patient with a reasonable life expectancy and pleural fluid pH of more than 7.3, chemical pleurodesis appears to be the most effective and least morbid therapy.
Sahn
S A
SA
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D011859:Radiography