Diagnosis and management of malignant pleural effusions

Respirology : Official Journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
John E Heffner

Abstract

Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) complicate the clinical course of patients with a broad array of malignancies, which are most often due to lymphomas or carcinomas of the breast, lung, gastrointestinal tract or ovaries. Patients may present with a MPE as the initial manifestation of a cancer or develop an effusion during the advanced phases of a known malignancy. In either circumstance, the median survival after presentation with a MPE is 4 months. Effusions may result from direct pleural invasion (MPE) or indirect effects (paraneoplastic effusions), such as impairment of fluid efflux from the pleural space by lymphatic obstruction or pleural effects of cancer radiation or drug therapy. Because only 50% of patients with cancer who develop a pleural effusion during their clinical course have a MPE, careful evaluation of the effusion to establish its aetiology is required to direct therapy. Management is palliative with interventions directed towards decreasing the volume of intrapleural fluid and the severity of associated symptoms.

References

Feb 1, 1979·Thorax·A HirschJ Chrétien
Jul 1, 1976·The Annals of Thoracic Surgery·R H Adler, I Sayek
Nov 8, 1976·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·D D StoreyD T Coles
Sep 1, 1992·Thorax·A D WalsheD J Godden
Aug 1, 1992·Current Opinion in Oncology·M Tattersall
Sep 1, 1991·Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology·C I HenschkeS D Davis
Feb 15, 1991·Annals of Internal Medicine·R Menzies, M Charbonneau
Mar 1, 1990·AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology·A N LeungR R Miller
Mar 1, 1990·Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography·S D DavisY Yi
Jan 1, 1987·Cancer Metastasis Reviews·F H Hausheer, J W Yarbro
Jul 1, 1989·Chest·A B Miller, H A Risch
Jul 1, 1989·Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography·J G Lorigan, H I Libshitz
Jul 1, 1988·The American Review of Respiratory Disease·S A Sahn
Oct 1, 1988·Annals of Surgery·A G LittleD B Skinner
Oct 1, 1986·Chest·S H FeinsilverS S Braman
Apr 1, 1974·Cancer·C B AndersonT B Ferguson
Oct 1, 1972·Radiology·J D ColinsR J Steckel
Aug 1, 1980·Thorax·I P MungallN J Cooke
Jul 1, 1980·Chest·J T GoodS A Sahn
Jan 1, 1995·Respiration; International Review of Thoracic Diseases·V Foresti
Apr 1, 1995·Seminars in Oncology·J C Ruckdeschel
Aug 1, 1994·Chest·L KennedyS A Sahn
Nov 1, 1993·Chest·A J Block
Feb 1, 1995·American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·J M Ignacio-Garcia, P Gonzalez-Santos
Jun 1, 1994·Chest·J E HeffnerL Unruh
Oct 1, 1993·Surgical Oncology·J KellyG Rosen
May 1, 1996·AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology·Y C ChangP C Goodman
Feb 1, 1996·Academic Radiology·C C BlackmoreH C Crow

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 16, 2012·Molecular Therapy : the Journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy·Ianko D IankovEvanthia Galanis
Dec 10, 2009·Cancer Imaging : the Official Publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society·Leslie E Quint
Jun 3, 2014·European Journal of Medical Research·ChunHua XuYu Zhang
Nov 3, 2012·Clinical & Developmental Immunology·Heriberto Prado-GarciaJose Sullivan Lopez-Gonzalez
Aug 12, 2014·Mediators of Inflammation·Bob YangDaqing Ma
Apr 8, 2010·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Peter J Mariani, Judith A Setla
Sep 23, 2014·American Journal of Clinical Pathology·M Esther San JoséLuis Valdés
Nov 23, 2016·Mediators of Inflammation·Feng WuYang Jin

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.