Malignant Pleural Effusion In Patients Research Articles

Spheroids Generated from Malignant Pleural Effusion as a Tool to Predict the Response of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer to Treatment.

Spheroids generated by tumor cells collected from malignant pleural effusion (MPE) were shown to retain the characteristics of the original tumors. This ex vivo model might be used to predict the response of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to anticancer treatments. The characteristics, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status, and clinical response to EGFR-TKIs treatment of enrolled patients were recorded. The viability of the spheroids generated from MPE of enrolled patients were evaluated by visualization of the formazan product of the MTT assay. Spheroids were generated from 14 patients with NSCLC-related MPE. Patients with EGFR L861Q, L858R, or Exon 19 deletion all received EGFR-TKIs, and five of these seven patients responded to treatment. The viability of the spheroids generated from MPE of these five patients who responded to EGFR-TKIs treatment was significantly reduced after gefitinib treatment. On the other hand, gefitinib treatment did not reduce the viability of the spheroids generated from MPE of patients with EGFR wild type, Exon 20 insertion, or patients with sensitive EGFR mutation but did not respond to EGFR-TKIs treatment. Multicellular spheroids generated from NSCLC-related MPE might be used to predict the response of NSCLC to treatment.

Efficacy and safety of intrapleural perfusion with hyperthermic chemotherapy for malignant pleural effusion: a meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrapleural perfusion with hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC) in treating malignant pleural effusion (MPE).MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Full-text Database (VP-CSJFD), and Wanfang database were searched by computer from database establishment to January 17, 2024. Relevant randomized controlled articles with IPHC as the observational group and intrapleural perfusion chemotherapy (IPC) as the control group for MPE were included. Then, the methodological quality of the included articles was evaluated and statistically analyzed using Stata 16.0.ResultsSixteen trials with 647 patients receiving IPHC and 661 patients receiving IPC were included. The meta-analysis found that MPE patients in the IPHC group had a more significant objective response rate [RR = 1.31, 95%CI (1.23, 1.38), P < 0.05] and life quality improvement rate [RR = 2.88, 95%CI (1.95, 4.24), P < 0.05] than those in the IPC group. IPHC and IPC for MPE patients had similar incidence rates of asthenia, thrombocytopenia, hepatic impairment, and leukopenia.ConclusionCompared with IPC, IPHC has a higher objective response rate without significantly increasing adverse reactions. Therefore, IPHC is effective and safe. However, this study is limited by the quality of the literature. Therefore, more high-quality, multi-center, large-sample, rigorously designed randomized controlled clinical studies are still needed for verification and evaluation.

Abstract PO2-27-06: ANXA9 facilitates the exocrine secretion of S100A4 and promotes pleural metastasis in breast cancer

Abstract Metastasis to distant organs stands as the primary contributor to mortality in cases of breast cancer. While localized breast cancer boasts a 5-year survival rate of roughly 99%, this figure drastically declines to approximately 26% for patients afflicted with distant metastasis. Regrettably, the current therapeutic landscape lacks efficacious and targeted interventions for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Our investigation has revealed a significant upregulation of S100A4 in metastatic breast cancer tissues, with notably high expression observed in the malignant pleural effusion of patients in advanced stages of the disease. Upon acceptance of the effective treatment, the expression of S100A4 in malignant pleural effusion decreased, along with a decrease in several cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, and CCL5. The breast cancer cellular models demonstrated that ANXA9 has the ability to regulate the excretion of S100A4 from cells into the surrounding medium. Similarly, the mice model of pleural metastasis indicated that the downregulation of ANXA9 (sh-ANXA9) resulted in decreased levels of S100A4 and cytokines IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, and CCL5 in the mice's hydrothorax. Additionally, our findings suggest that ANXA9 regulates the excretion of S100A4 through phosphorylation of ANXA9. The cellular membrane harbored phosphorylated ANXA9, which exhibited two phosphorylation sites. Upon mutation of these sites, the level of ANXA9 phosphorylation decreased, leading to a reduction in the exocrine release of ANXA9 from cells into the medium. Our research further revealed the significant involvement of ANXA9 in facilitating the progression of breast cancer, thereby suggesting that therapeutic interventions targeting ANXA9 could prove efficacious in treating metastatic breast cancer. This work was supported by Shanghai Sailing Program to Dengfeng Li (No. 20YF1437800), grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China to Dengfeng li (No. 82103454) and grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China to Lin Fang (No. 82073204). Citation Format: Xiqian Zhou, Dengfeng Li, Lin Fang, Junyong Zhao. ANXA9 facilitates the exocrine secretion of S100A4 and promotes pleural metastasis in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-27-06.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal metastatic CLDN4+ cancer cells underlying the recurrence of malignant pleural effusion in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Recurrent malignant pleural effusion (MPE) resulting from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is easily refractory to conventional therapeutics and lacks predictive markers. The cellular or genetic signatures of recurrent MPE still remain largely uncertain. 16 NSCLC patients with pleural effusions were recruited, followed by corresponding treatments based on primary tumours. Non-recurrent or recurrent MPE was determined after 3-6 weeks of treatments. The status of MPE was verified by computer tomography (CT) and cytopathology, and the baseline pleural fluids were collected for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Samples were then integrated and profiled. Cellular communications and trajectories were inferred by bioinformatic algorithms. Comparative analysis was conducted and the results were further validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in a larger MPE cohort from the authors' centre (n=64). The scRNA-seq revealed that 33590 cells were annotated as 7 major cell types and further characterized into 14 cell clusters precisely. The cell cluster C1, classified as Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM)+ metastatic cancer cell and correlated with activation of tight junction and adherence junction, was significantly enriched in the recurrent MPE group, in which Claudin-4 (CLDN4) was identified. The subset cell cluster C3 of C1, which was enriched in recurrent MPE and demonstrated a phenotype of ameboidal-type cell migration, also showed a markedly higher expression of CLDN4. Meanwhile, the expression of CLDN4 was positively correlated with E74 Like ETS Transcription Factor 3 (ELF3), EpCAM and Tumour Associated Calcium Signal Transducer 2 (TACSTD2), independent of driver-gene status. CLDN4 was also found to be associated with the expression of Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 Subunit Alpha (HIF1A) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA), and the cell cluster C1 was the major mediator in cellular communication of VEGFA signalling. In the extensive MPE cohort, a notably increased expression of CLDN4 in cells from pleural effusion among patients diagnosed with recurrent MPE was observed, compared with the non-recurrent group, which was also associated with a trend towards worse overall survival (OS). CLDN4 could be considered as a predictive marker of recurrent MPE among patients with advanced NSCLC. Further validation for its clinical value in cohorts with larger sample size and in-depth mechanism studies on its biological function are warranted. Not applicable.

221P Single-cell transcriptomics reveals CLDN4+ cancer cells underlying the recurrence of malignant pleural effusion in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

221P Single-cell transcriptomics reveals CLDN4+ cancer cells underlying the recurrence of malignant pleural effusion in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Comparison of outcomes of surgical and other invasive treatment modalities for malignant pleural effusion in patients with pleural carcinomatosis.

Treatment modalities for malignant pleural effusion (MPE) are diverse. The objectives were to analyze actual clinical data from patients with MPE and pleural carcinomatosis and to compare the outcomes of different treatment modalities with regard to effectiveness, survival, morbidity, and mortality as well as the duration of hospitalization. Patients with pathologically proven pleural carcinomatosis or MPE from 2018 to 2020 were included in this retrospective-observational study with additional questionnaires. We identified four treatment modalities: (I) video-assisted thoracic surgery with pleurodesis (VATS, mechanical/chemical); (II) VATS with pleurodesis combined with indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) placement; (III) VATS (without pleurodesis) combined with IPC placement; and (IV) management with IPC placement alone. We enrolled 91 patients aged 38-90 years who were treated by either VATS-pleurodesis (N=22), VATS-IPC placement (N=21), a combination of VATS with pleurodesis and IPC placement (N=22), or IPC placement alone (N=26). The mean survival time was 138.3 days. No significant differences were detected among treatment groups regarding the outcome of pleurodesis failure, either initially or later. Patients in the VATS-pleurodesis with IPC group experienced significantly more complications than those in the other treatment modality groups [odds ratio (OR): 3.288, P=0.026]. However, no statistically significant differences were observed regarding the type of adverse event and survival. Hypoalbuminemia, systemic therapy, and successful pleurodesis (P=0.008; P=0.011; P=0.044, respectively) were significantly correlated with survival. In multiple linear regression, hypoalbuminemia persisted as an independent predictor of survival (P=0.031). The type of intervention showed significant differences regarding the duration of hospitalization (P=0.017). IPC placement alone shortened the mean total hospitalization time by 7.9, 5.9, and 7.0 days compared to VATS-pleurodesis (P≤0.001), VATS-IPC placement (P=0.004), and VATS-pleurodesis with IPC placement (P≤0.001), respectively. The survival time was very short, and each treatment group had pros and cons. Therefore, decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis. The use of an IPC, even if the lung is not trapped, can significantly reduce the length of hospital stay. VATS is needed when histology is needed. The ideal method for treating recurrent MPE should be simple, effective, and inexpensive, with minimal disturbance to the patient.

Comparison between Rapid and Standard procedure Pleurodesis outcome in Malignant Pleural Effusion

Background: The terminal stage of cancer with distant metastasis often concurrent with malignant pleural effusion (MPE), which is the complication in lung cancer cases. Pleurodesis was performed by inserting a sclerosing agent through the thoracal drain after the pleural fluid was evacuated. Objective: to determine whether rapid pleurodesis is more efficient and effective than the standard procedure pleurodesis in MPE patients. Methods: This experimental study using randomized posttest-only control group design and divided into two groups (standard procedure pleurodesis group and rapid pleurodesis group). All of the samples were inpatient with MPE requiring pleurodesis and eligible with the inclusion criteria as samples. Pleurodesis procedure was performed by inserting a sclerosing agent through the thoracic drain after fluid well evacuated using talc slurry, and evaluated 1 month after pleurodesis procedure. All data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: A total of 25 samples were included in this study. Our study suggests that standard procedure findings were the same as the rapid group (90.9% vs. 81.81%; p = 0.30). But the rapid group was had a shorter length of stay compared with the standard group (24.62 vs. 29.08 days; p = 0.42) and cheaper (USD 1,700 vs. USD 1,876; p = 0.98). Pain and fever were common complications in both groups. Conclusions: Rapid and standard pleurodesis groups showed the same efficiency and effectivity rates in treating MPE patients. However, the rapid pleurodesis group has a shorter length of stay and cheaper, but there was no statistically difference.

Comparison of the efficacy Talc solution injection through Chest Tube and Talcum Powder through Pleuroscopy for the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusion: a randomized clinical trial

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare the different outcomes and response rates of talc powder injection via chest tube and talc spray through thoracoscopy in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion in patients.&#x0D; Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, patients with malignant pleural effusion, who were hospitalized in the surgery and hematology-oncology departments of Shariati and Imam Khomeini Hospitals, were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: chest tube and pleuroscopy, using simple randomization. The mean and standard deviation, frequency and percentage, independent sample t-tests, chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests were used for data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.&#x0D; Results: No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the incidences of chest pain, fever, and both symptoms (p &gt; 0.05). The treatment success rates among the chest tube and pleuroscopy cases were 83.3% and 100%, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.05). Among the five patients who had a recurrence, four (80%) had lung cancer, and one (20%) had liver cancer, and this difference was significant (P = 0.003). Regarding the rate of response to the treatment according to the side with effusion, among the people who had a relapse, two people (40%) had right-sided effusion, and three others (60%) had left-sided effusion (P = 0.623).&#x0D; Conclusions: Both techniques were safe, had minor side effects, were transient, and easy to manage. However, the recurrence of the disease in the thoracoscopic pleurodesis method was significantly less than in the chest tube.&#x0D;

Pleural fluid carbohydrate antigen 72-4 and malignant pleural effusion: a diagnostic test accuracy study.

The prognosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is poor. A timely and accurate diagnosis is the prerequisite for managing MPE patients. Carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) is a diagnostic tool for MPE. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid CA72-4 for MPE. A prospective, preregistered, and double-blind diagnostic test accuracy study. We prospectively enrolled participants with undiagnosed pleural effusions from two centers in China (Hohhot and Changshu). CA72-4 concentration in pleural fluid was measured by electrochemiluminescence. Its diagnostic accuracy for MPE was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The net benefit of CA72-4 was determined by a decision curve analysis (DCA). In all, 153 participants were enrolled in the Hohhot cohort, and 58 were enrolled in the Changshu cohort. In both cohorts, MPE patients had significantly higher CA72-4 levels than benign pleural effusion (BPE) patients. At a cutoff value of 8 U/mL, pleural fluid CA72-4 had a sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.46, 1.00, and 0.79, respectively, in the Hohhot cohort. In the Changshu cohort, CA72-4 had a sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 0.27, 0.94, and 0.86, respectively. DCA revealed the relatively high net benefit of CA72-4 determination. In patients with negative cytology, the AUC of CA72-4 was 0.67. Pleural fluid CA72-4 helps differentiate MPE and BPE in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions.

Clinical importance of serum and pleural fluid prominin-1 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α concentration in the evaluation of lymph node involvement in patients with malignant pleural effusion.

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) presence are poor prognostic factors that have importance for cancer patients. The study objective was to determine whether hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and prominin-1 (CD133) in pleural fluid (P) and serum (S) could be used as biomarkers for diagnosis of lymph node involvement in patients with MPE. Fifty-six patients with MPE and 30 healthy control subjects were included. Computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) were used to diagnose pleural effusion. Patients with malignant cells in pleural fluid cytological examination were included in the MPE group. Thirty-five patients with lymph node metastases on CT were included in the LNM-positive MPE group. Serum and pleural fluid HIF-1α and CD-133 concentrations were measured manually via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum concentrations of HIF-1α and CD133 were higher in MPE patients. It was found that CD133/HIF-1α (S) ratio was higher in the malignant patient group with positive lymph node involvement than in the negative group, while concentrations of HIF-1α (P) were lower. Pleural fluid HIF-1α and CD133/HIF-1α (S) ratio had sufficient performance in diagnosing lymphatic metastases in patients with MPE (AUC = 0.90 and 0.83, respectively). In conclusion, serum HIF-1α and CD133 concentrations were higher in patients with MPE, consistent with our hypothesis. Concentrations of HIF-1α (P) and CD133/HIF-1α (S) ratio can be used as biomarkers in diagnosing lymph node involvement in MPE patients, according to this experiment.

Comparison of Outcomes in Patients with Malignant Pleural Efusion et Causa Breast Cancer Metastase Thought of Pleurodesis with Talc Poudrage and Talc Slurry at Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital, Padang, Indonesia

Background: Breast cancer accounts for about 50-65% of malignant pleural effusions. Talc pleurodesis is one of the definitive procedures for pleural effusions in which the route of administration is divided into poudrage and slurry. This study aimed to compare the differences of outcomes in malignant pleural effusion patients et causa breast cancer metastase who receive pleurodesis therapy with talc poudrage and talc slurry.&#x0D; Methods: This study has a cross-sectional design, which was conducted at Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital in May – July 2023. This study used medical records of patients diagnosed with malignant pleural effusion due to metastases of breast cancer at Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital Padang from January 2019 – July 2023. The outcomes assessed included drain production in 24 hours, drain release time, and in-hospital mortality.&#x0D; Results: In this study, 12 respondents who have talc poudrage and talc slurry pleurodesis were included. In the talc poudrage group, the mean of 24-hour drain production was 259.17 ± 46.79 ml, the mean of drain release time was 4.08 ± 0.66 days, and there was one respondent who died during hospitality. In the talc slurry group, the mean of 24-hour drain production was found to be more (420.83 ± 78.21 ml), drain release time was found to be much longer (5.67 ± 0.98 days), and 3 respondents died in hospital. The bivariate analysis found a significant difference between the 24-hour drain production and drain release time of patients who underwent talc slurry and talc poudrage meanwhile there was no difference in hospital mortality.&#x0D; Conclusion: Talc poudrage has a better outcome than talc slurry regarding drain production and drain release time in patients with malignant pleural effusion due to metastases of breast cancer.

On Examination and Radiological Findings of Tubercular and Malignant Pleural Fluid Collected from Patients Presented with Exudative Pleural Effusion

Background: The on examination and radiological findings of tubercular and malignant pleural fluid may vary among patients with exudative pleural effusion. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the on examination and radiological findings of tubercular and malignant pleural fluid collected from patients presented with exudative pleural effusion. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out at medicine indoor department of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet, Bangladesh from October 2009 to March 2010. Patients who were admitted with pleural effusion were selected as the study population. Pleural fluid was collected and laboratory tests were performed in the Department of Laboratory Medicine of the Hospital. The clinical features and haematological findings of tubercular and malignant pleural fluid were assessed. Results: A total of 50 cases were selected consecutively in the study. Among 30 tuberculars pleural effusion, chest movement and expansion decreased in 26 cases. However, in 12 malignant pleural effusion cases, most of the patients’ chest movement and expansion were found diminished which was in 9 cases. Radiological findings showed that more than half (54.0%) of the patients had right sided pleural effusion. Conclusion: In conclusion chest movement and expansion as well as vocal resonance are decreased in both tubercular and malignant pleural effusion patients with absent of breath sound. Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research, July 2022;9(2):74-78

LENT Score as a Prognosis Factor for Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival in Malignant Pleural Effusion Patients at Tertiary Hospitals in West Sumatera, Indonesia

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) has a variable survival rate and prognosis. The LENT score is one method for assessing survival rates in patients with MPE. This study aimed to investigate the LENT score as a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with MPE at a tertiary hospital in West Sumatera.&#x0D; Methods: This study was an observational analytic study involving several tertiary hospitals in West Sumatera with a minimum observation period of 2 years. Data were collected from medical records. We used Kaplan Meier analysis to assess OS and PFS.&#x0D; Results: A total of 198 subjects met the inclusion criteria. Most MPE patients in this study were aged ≥60 years, male, smokers, pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase value &lt;1500, ECOG 1, serum NLR value &lt;9, and high-risk cancer, namely lung cancer. The distribution of LENT scores for MPE patients was evenly distributed among the low, medium, and high-risk groups. Kaplan Meier analysis showed that the median OS based on LENT scores were 804 days, 275 days, and 161 days, respectively (log-rank test p = 0.000). The median PFS based on LENT scores were 715 days, 202 days, and 106 days, respectively (log-rank test p=0.000). The OS and PFS findings are longer than previous studies.&#x0D; Conclusion: Based on LENT scores, overall survival and progression-free survival MPE patients at tertiary hospitals in West Sumatera have a better prognosis compared to previous studies.

Comparison between different treatment regimens of vascular targeting drug to malignant pleural effusion in patients with lung cancer: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.

The presence of malignant pleural effusion in lung cancer patients often suggests a poor prognosis. We plan to investigate which regimen of vascular targeting drug is preferable to control the malignant pleural effusion in such patients. Two investigators dependently searched and screened for randomized controlled trials in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from the database inception to August 2022. R software was applied to build a network model in Bayesian method. Objective response rate of malignant pleural effusion is the primary outcome measure. Besides, the incidence of 3 adverse events were compared, including gastrointestinal reaction, leukopenia and hypertension. Due to the disconnection of network, we analysis and discuss the short-term treatment (3-4 weeks) and long-term treatment (6-12 weeks) respectively. 31 studies with 2093 patients were identified. Four targeting drugs contain bevacizumab (Bev), anlotinib, apatinib and Endostar. Two administration routes include intracavity perfusion (icp) and intravenous injection. Based on the current evidence, for short-term treatments, compared with single-agent chemotherapy (CT), Bev_icp + CT, anlotinib + CT, Bev_icp and anlotinib + endorstar_icp present better objective response, and no statistical significance was found in objective response between Bev_icp + CT, anlotinib + CT and Bev_icp. For long-term treatments, compared with doublet or triplet chemotherapy (2CT or 3CT), Bev_icp + 2CT, apatinib + 2CT, Bev_icp + 3CT, and Bev_intravenous injection + 2CT are more effective option, but no statistical significance was found in objective response between the 4 combination regimens with chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that no statistical significance between above vascular targeting regimens. Pathological type of lung cancer may affect the effect of bevacizumab intracavity infusion plus chemotherapy. The influence of different administration routes of vascular targeting drugs on efficacy remains to be investigated. There are some concerns with the quality of the studies, and some limitations should be considered when interpreting these results, which includes limited geographical region and sample size of studies. Despite these limitations, this study may inform vascular targeting therapy choice in such a patient population.

Tract seeding in indwelling pleural catheter placement for the drainage of malignant pleural effusions: Incidence and related clinical and imaging factors

BackgroundThe incidence of tract seeding after the placement of indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) for malignant pleural effusion drainage has been variable in the literature. Research questionTo evaluate the incidence of IPC-related cancer tract seeding and find out related demographic, clinical or imaging factors to the tract seeding. Study design and methodsThis retrospective study included 124 consecutive patients seen between January 2011 and December 2021 who underwent IPC placement for malignant pleural effusion drainage. Chest radiographs before IPC placement and serial chest CT studies were obtained. One patient was diagnosed pathologically, and the other patients were diagnosed as tract seeding radiologically. The incidence of and related factors to tract seeding were assessed by reviewing medical records and imaging studies. ResultsThe incidence of IPC tract seeding was 21.7% (27 of 124 malignant effusions). Of 27 patients, 15 had primary lung cancer and remaining 12 had extra-thoracic malignancy. Adenocarcinoma (19 of 27, 70.3%) either from the lung (N = 12) or extra-thoracic malignancy (N = 7) was the most common cell type. Mean time elapsed until tract seeding occurrence after IPC placement was 96 days (ranges; 28–306 days). The survival in seeding group after IPC placement was 185 days (ranges, 32–457 days). On odd ratio analysis, the presence of mediastinal pleural thickening (OR [95% CI]; 9.79 (2.67–35.84), p = 0.001) was significantly related to the occurrence of tract seeding. Neither tumor volume within pleural space (p = 0.168), duration of IPC indwelling (p = 0.142), days of survival after IPC placement (p = 0.26), nor pleural effusion amount (p = 0.481) was related to the tract seeding. InterpretationIPC tract seeding is seen in 27 (21.7%) of 124 malignant pleural effusion patients, particularly with adenocarcinoma cytology. CT features of mediastinal pleural thickening are related to the occurrence of tract seeding.

Differentiating malignant and benign pleural effusion in patients with lung cancer: an 18F-FDG PET/CT retrospectively study.

To explore the clinical role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in differentiating malignant pleural effusion (MPE) from benign pleural effusion (BPE) in patients with lung cancer. Over a 8-year period, we retrospectively reviewed PET/CT data of lung cancer patients with pleural effusion, with 237 participants enrolled for analysis. The nature of pleural effusion was confirmed using pleural cytology or biopsy. MPE versus BPE comparison and multiple regression analysis were performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used for evaluating the diagnostic performance. Of the 237 participants, 170 had MPEs and 67 had BPEs. Compared with BPEs, MPEs had higher pleural SUVmax and thicker pleura and were more common among non-small cell lung cancers, peripheral tumors, and women (p < 0.05). BPEs had larger and higher 18F-FDG uptake thoracic lymph nodes and more complications of pneumonia (p < 0.05) than MPEs. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the pleural SUVmax (odds ratio, OR = 38.8), sex (OR = 0.033), and mediastinal lymphoid node size (OR = 0.86) as independent risk factors for MPEs. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) in the combined ROC curve analysis by using the three factors were 95.3%, 95.5%, and 0.989, respectively. 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated imaging is an effective non-invasive method for differential diagnosis of MPE in patients with lung cancer. Pleural SUVmax combined with thoracic lymph nodes and sex has high diagnostic value.

Variations in pleural microbiota and metabolic phenotype associated with malignant pleural effusion in human lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer-related death worldwide. In 2022, the number of daily deaths of lung cancer was estimated to reach around 350 in the United States. Lung adenocarcinoma is the main subtype of lung cancer and patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) suffer from poor prognosis. Microbiota and its metabolites are associated with cancer progression. However, the effect of pleural microbiota on pleural metabolic profile of MPE in lung adenocarcinoma patients remains largely unknown. Pleural effusion samples collected from lung adenocarcinoma patients with MPE (n = 14) and tuberculosis pleurisy patients with benign pleural effusion (BPE group, n = 10) were subjected to microbiome (16S rRNA gene sequencing) and metabolome (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry [LC-MS/MS]) analyses. The datasets were analyzed individually and integrated for combined analysis using various bioinformatic approaches. The metabolic profile of MPE in lung adenocarcinoma patients were clearly distinguished from BPE with 121 differential metabolites across six significantly enriched pathways identified. Glycerophospholipids, fatty and carboxylic acids, and derivatives were the most common differential metabolites. Sequencing of microbial data revealed nine significantly enriched genera (i.e., Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus) and 26 enriched ASVs (i.e., species Lactobacillus_delbrueckii) in MPE. Integrated analysis correlated MPE-associated microbes with metabolites, such as phosphatidylcholine and metabolites involved in the citrate cycle pathway. Our results provide substantial evidence of a novel interplay between the pleural microbiota and metabolome, which was drastically perturbed in MPE in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Microbe-associated metabolites can be used for further therapeutic explorations.

Age affects the diagnostic accuracy of the cancer ratio for malignant pleural effusion

Background and objectiveCancer ratio (CR), which is defined as serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) ratio, has been reported to be a useful diagnostic marker for malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Whether its diagnostic accuracy is affected by age remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of age on the diagnostic accuracy of CR.MethodsThe participants in this study were from a prospective cohort (SIMPLE cohort, n = 199) and a retrospective cohort (BUFF cohort, n = 158). All participants were patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion (PE). We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CR. The effect of age on the diagnostic accuracy of CR was investigated by adjusting the upper limit of age for participant enrolment.ResultsEighty-eight MPE patients were verified in the SIMPLE cohort, and thirty-five MPE patients were verified in the BUFF cohort. The AUCs of CR in the SIMPLE and BUFF cohorts were 0.60 (95% CI: 0.52–0.68) and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.54–0.71), respectively. In both cohorts, the AUCs of CR decreased with the advancement of age.ConclusionAge can affect the diagnostic accuracy of CR for MPE. CR has limited diagnostic value in older patients.Key messageCancer ratio is a promising diagnostic marker for malignant pleural effusion.This study revealed that its diagnostic accuracy decreased in older patients.Its diagnostic accuracy is overestimated by previous studies using tuberculosis and pneumonia patients as controls.

Comparison of the Effectiveness between Povidone-Iodine and Bleomycin as Pleurodesis Agents in Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a clinical problem in which fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity. This condition is generally caused by malignancy. Pleurodesis is a medical procedure in the form of fusion of the visceral and parietal pleura in order to prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion. Pleurodesis has the risk of causing chronic inflammation, which will trigger excessive attachment between the visceral and parietal pleura. Of course, an intervention is needed to reduce the risk of inflammation, one of which is by using a pleurodesis agent, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of povidone-iodine compared to bleomycin as a pleurodesis agent in malignant pleural effusion patients at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia.&#x0D; Methods: Prospective cohort study, where as many as 46 research subjects participated in this study and were grouped into groups that received povidone-iodine and bleomycin. The success of pleurodesis agents was assessed by the production of WSD. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS univariate and bivariate.&#x0D; Results: The results of the study showed that there was no statistical difference between the 10% povidone-iodine agent and the bleomycin agent, where p&gt;0.05. However, in the 10% povidone-iodine group, the success rate was 100%, while in the bleomycin group, the success rate was 82.6%.&#x0D; Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the efficacy of povidone-iodine as a pleurodesis agent compared to bleomycin in patients with malignant pleural effusion at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia.

The contribution of PET/CT to the differentiation of benign and malignant pleural effusion in patients with ovarian carcinoma

ObjectiveThe present study investigates the ability of non-invasive contribution of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to distinguish between benign pleural effusions (BPE) and malignant pleural effusions (MPE) in patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma (OC). Material and methodsIncluded in the study were 32 OC patients with a PE diagnosis. The cases with BPE and MPE were compared in terms of the PE maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), PE SUVmax/mean standardized uptake (SUVmean) value of the mediastinal blood pool (TBRp), the presence of pleural thickening, the presence of supradiaphragmatic lymph node, unilateral or bilateral PE, pleural effusion diameter, patient age and CA125 value. ResultsThe mean age of the 32 patients was 57±2.8 years. TBRp>1.1, pleural thickening and supradiaphragmatic lymph node were observed significantly more frequently in the MPE than the BPE cases. While no pleural nodules were detected in patients with BPE, they were present in 7 of the patients with MPE. The rates of distinction between the MPE and BPE cases were as follows: the sensitivity of the TBRp value was 95.2% and specificity was 72.7%; the sensitivity of pleural thickness was 80.9% and specificity was 81.8%; the sensitivity of supradiaphragmatic lymph node was 38% and specificity was 90.9%; and the sensitivity of the pleural nodule was 33.3% and specificity was 100%. There were no significant differences between two groups in any other factors. ConclusionsPleural thickening and TBRp values ascertained through PET/CT may aid the distinction between MPE-BPE, especially in patients with advanced stage OC with a poor general condition, or those who cannot undergo surgery.