Q RE: Pleural Effusion Recurrence

[Bill]

A question for those of you that have had a pleural effusion drained that was determined to be cancer-induced ( vs. infection induced ). Based on your personal experience with this, or any input received from your treating physicians, what is the approximate / typical timeframe for reoccurence ? This assumes no interventional tx after draining the pleural effusion other than a short course of meds ( e.g. Lasix, steroids, etc. ).

TIA for any input on this subject.

[CharlieD]

Hi Bill,

I was dx with a malignant pleural effusion and had it drained almost a year ago. (4/7/04) Although it is still there, it hasn't created much if any fluid since. They thought it may have increased a tiny bit on a CT Scan but X-rays revealed no free flowing fluid. My understanding is that the Chemo if it works stops the cancer from creating more fluid. The Docs are not concerned with the little bit that is left and tell me that as long as it remains at the current stable level not to worry.

CharlieD

[Bill]

Hi Bill,

I was dx with a malignant pleural effusion and had it drained almost a year ago. (4/7/04) Although it is still there, it hasn't created much if any fluid since. They thought it may have increased a tiny bit on a CT Scan but X-rays revealed no free flowing fluid. My understanding is that the Chemo if it works stops the cancer from creating more fluid. The Docs are not concerned with the little bit that is left and tell me that as long as it remains at the current stable level not to worry.

CharlieD

CD :

Thanks. Makes sense. Barring successful chemo tx to stop it or significantly slow it I'd expect malignant pleural effusions to keep recurring. I would sure like to know how rapidly they typically recur in the absence of successful chemo tx. My wife's last chest x-ray ( that I saw ) showed a slight reaccumulation of fluid in the base of one lung. This would have been 2 days after draining and the day before she started Tarceva.

[kimblanchard]

Jim had his drained November 29. It was malignant. He had it drained again December 15, so that would be just over two weeks it had come back. It was probably back before that but that is when he had his next xrays. I don't know about after that, other issues came to the fore.

Good luck Bill. Margaret

[TAnn]

Bill,

I have a malignant pleural effusion also. When I was first diagnosed almost 2 years ago, I had it drained so they could perform tests to determine if it was malignant. That was in April of 03. I then had to have 3 more drainings between April of 03 and April of 04. By April of 04 my lung was completely encased. I never made a big issue of the SOB and pain due to all that fluid because I had such a terrible time with the thorencenthesis. Big mistake! I had a Denver Catheter put in in April 04 for 5 1/2 weeks. My wonderful husband drained a bottle (I think 600 ml) daily until there was no more fluid to drain. Since then, the fluid has not come back at all. I still have some "trapped" fluid in pockets and a partially collapsed lung where that fluid is trapped.

I was told that each person is different. Some can have a small effusion that really does not increase at all and others like me have the fluid return quickly. I went a couple of months before I noticed the "signs" between draining procedures.

TAnn