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.
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
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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