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What Is Malignant Pleural Effusion?
Question: what is a malignant pleural effusion?
Brief Answer:
It is due to malignant infiltration of pleura.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Healthcare Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Malignant pleural effusion means presence of atypical cells (malignant cells) in pleural effusion.
It is due to malignant infiltration of pleura.
Malignant pleural effusion is secondary mostly.
Secondary means spread of cancer cells from other organs like breast, liver, kidney, lymphoma, leukemia, intestinal cancers etc.
Lung cancer can also cause malignant pleural effusion.
Primary mesothelioma can also cause malignant pleural effusion.
In 95 - 99% of the cases, malignant pleural effusion is from cancer of different organs.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.
It is due to malignant infiltration of pleura.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Healthcare Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Malignant pleural effusion means presence of atypical cells (malignant cells) in pleural effusion.
It is due to malignant infiltration of pleura.
Malignant pleural effusion is secondary mostly.
Secondary means spread of cancer cells from other organs like breast, liver, kidney, lymphoma, leukemia, intestinal cancers etc.
Lung cancer can also cause malignant pleural effusion.
Primary mesothelioma can also cause malignant pleural effusion.
In 95 - 99% of the cases, malignant pleural effusion is from cancer of different organs.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
So, these malignant cells are being produced by more than one organ? If a person had breast cancer stage 4 and it was also in the lymph nodes and lungs.......2 yrs of chemo everything looked clear so chemo was stopped. All of a sudden lungs fill up and that is where we are having the malignant pleural effusion show up even though cancer is no longer detectable at the original sites. Both breasts removed as well as lymph nodes. New chemo resumed....can this be fatal?
Brief Answer:
Yes, this can be fatal.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Healthcare Magic.
Yes, malignant pleural effusion can present as recurrence even if primary breast cancer is healed.
And honestly speaking, this malignant pleural effusion is not good for prognosis.
This can be fatal.
Patient needs pig tail insertion and pleurodesis.
So better to consult pulmonologist and discuss all these.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to your patient.
Thanks.
Yes, this can be fatal.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Healthcare Magic.
Yes, malignant pleural effusion can present as recurrence even if primary breast cancer is healed.
And honestly speaking, this malignant pleural effusion is not good for prognosis.
This can be fatal.
Patient needs pig tail insertion and pleurodesis.
So better to consult pulmonologist and discuss all these.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to your patient.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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