Malignant Pleural Effusion: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatments

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What is a Malignant Pleural Effusion?

A malignant pleural effusion is also known as water in the lungs. It is because this condition is an abnormal amount of water or fluid in spaces between the layers of tissues, which are called pleura that lines the lungs. A pleural effusion becomes malignant if there are cancer cells present in the fluid. Malignant pleural effusion is the cancerous form of pleural effusion. So, if you're pleural effusion becomes malignant, consult your doctor immediately to get the right treatments or medications available and suitable for you.

Malignant Pleural Effusion Causes

Almost all types of cancers may cause malignant pleural effusion. Some of these types of cancers are lung cancers and breast cancers. Other diseases like kidney disease and pneumonia can also be the cause of malignant pleural effusion.

Malignant Pleural Effusion Symptoms

There are several symptoms of malignant pleural effusion. These symptoms can be uncomfortable and they may include shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing.

Diagnosis

It is essential to create an accurate diagnosis ...
... of a pleural effusion that is malignant. It is because treatments and prognosis are different from benign pleural effusions. It is also vital to take note that not all pleural effusions are malignant because majority of them are benign depending on the factors that affect the growth of these pleural effusions.

Malignant pleural effusions are often suspected because of the finding or symptoms that are seen on CT scan and chest x-ray. If the doctors have found out that your pleural effusion is malignant, the next step that will be considered is thoracentesis. It is a procedure that uses a needle to get the sample fluid in the pleural space. The fluid will be then examined with the use of a microscope. This will help doctors detect the presence of cancer cells. If the thoracentesis can’t be done due to some reasons, the further procedures must be done accurately.

Treatment

The aim of treating malignant pleural effusions is to improve the quality life of the patients and eliminate the symptoms. If the fluid was not removed successfully, there is a need for another surgery, which is called Thoracentesis. This is performed to remove the fluid in your lungs. But, you have to keep in mind that the said surgery can be risky. Pleurectomy is also done to remove a part of your pleura. There are also other new treatments available, but their costs can be expensive. So, make sure that you have extra money for your surgery. If you can’t afford the procedures available to treat malignant pleural effusion, you may ask for another suggestion from your doctor. This might help you save money from considering surgeries or complicated procedures that may damage your wallet.

Prognosis

Unfortunately, the average life expectancy for people who have lung cancers with malignant pleural effusion is less than six months only. The survival time is only four months. But, according to the experts, it depends on the person’s overall health condition or success of surgeries.

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