Management Of Malignant Pleural Effusion Research Articles

Tumor markers determination in malignant pleural effusion: pearls and pitfalls.

Serum and pleural fluid tumor markers are well-recognized auxiliary diagnostic tools for malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Here, we discuss some pearls andpitfalls regarding the role of tumor markers in MPE management. The following issues are discussed in this article: What is the appropriate clinical scenario for evaluating pleural tumor markers? Which tumor markers should be advocated for diagnosing MPE? Can extremely high levels of tumor markers be employed to establish a diagnosis of MPE? Does the serum-to-pleural fluid ratio of a tumor marker have the same diagnostic efficacy as the measurement of that marker alone in the pleural fluid? Can tumor markers be usedto estimate the risk of specific cancers? What should beconsidered when interpreting the diagnostic accuracy of tumor markers? How should tumor marker studies be performed? We addressed these issues with published works, particularly systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients with and without Non-Expandable Lung Secondary to Malignant Pleural Effusion-A Single-Centre Observational Study.

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) affects up to 15% of patients with malignancy, and the prevalence is increasing. Non-expandable lung (NEL) complicates MPE in up to 30% of cases. However, it is not known if patients with malignant pleural effusion and NEL are more symptomatic in activities of daily living compared to patients with MPE with expandable lung. This was an observational study on consecutively recruited patients with MPE from our pleural clinic. Before thoracentesis, patients completed patient-reported outcomes on cancer symptoms (ESAS), health-related quality of life (5Q-5D-5L), and dyspnoea scores. Following thoracentesis, patients scored dyspnoea relief and symptoms during thoracentesis. Data on focused lung ultrasound and pleural effusion biochemistry were collected. The non-expandable lung diagnosis was made by pleural experts based on radiological and clinical information. We recruited 43 patients, including 12 with NEL (28%). The NEL cohort resembled those from previous studies concerning ultrasonography, pleural fluid biochemistry, and fewer cases with high volume thoracentesis. Patients with and without NEL were comparable concerning baseline demography. The 5Q-5D-5L utility scores were 0.836 (0.691-0.906) and 0.806 (0.409-0.866), respectively, for patients with and without NEL. We observed no between-group differences in symptom burden or health-related quality of life. While the presence of NEL affects the clinical management of recurrent MPE, the presence of NEL seems not to affect patients' overall symptom burden in patients with MPE.

Are We Choosing the Most Cost-Effective Treatment Option for the Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions?

Are We Choosing the Most Cost-Effective Treatment Option for the Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions?

Management of malignant pleural effusion and trapped lung: a survey of respiratory physicians and thoracic surgeons in Australasia.

Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are common, and a third of them have underlying trapped lung (TL). Management of MPE and TL is suspected to be heterogeneous. Understanding current practices in Australasia is important in guiding policies and future research. Electronic survey of Australia-New Zealand respiratory physicians, thoracic surgeons and their respective trainees to determine practice of MPE and TL management. Of the 132 respondents, 56% were respiratory physicians, 23% were surgeons and 20% were trainees. Many respondents defined TL as >25% or any level of incomplete lung expansion; 75% would use large-volume thoracentesis to determine whether TL was present. For patients with TL, indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) were the preferred treatment irrespective of prognosis. In those without TL, surgical pleurodesis was the most common choice if prognosis was >6 months, whereas IPC was the preferred option if survival was <3 months. Only 5% of respondents considered decortication having a definite role in TL, but 55% would consider it in select cases. Forty-nine per cent of surgeons would not perform decortication when the lung does not fully expand intra-operatively. Perceived advantages of IPCs were minimisation of hospital time, effusion re-intervention and usefulness irrespective of TL status. Perceived disadvantages of IPCs were lack of suitable drainage care, potentially indefinite duration of catheter-in-situ and catheter complications. This survey highlights the lack of definition of TL and heterogeneity of MPE management in Australasia, especially for patients with expandable lungs. This survey also identified the main hurdles of IPC use that should be targeted.

Indwelling pleural catheter infection and colonisation: a clinical practice review.

Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are used in the management of malignant pleural effusions, but they can become infected in 5.7% of cases. This review aims to provide a summary of the development of IPC infections and their microbiology, diagnosis and management. IPC infections can be deep, involving the pleural space, or superficial. The former are of greater clinical concern. Deep infection is associated with biofilm formation on the IPC surface and require longer courses of antibiotic treatment. Mortality from infections is low and it is common for patients to undergo pleurodesis following a deep infection. The diagnosis of pleural infections is based upon positive IPC pleural fluid cultures, changes in pleural fluid appearance and biochemistry, and signs or symptoms suggestive of infection. IPCs can also become colonised, where bacteria are grown from pleural fluid drained via an IPC but without evidence of infection. It is important to distinguish between infection and colonisation clinically, and though infections require antibiotic treatment, colonisation does not. It is unclear what proportion of IPCs become colonised. The most common causes of IPC infection and colonisation are Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-negative Staphylococci respectively. The management of deep IPC infections requires prolonged antibiotic therapy and the drainage of infected fluid, usually via the IPC. Intrapleural enzyme therapy (DNase and fibrinolytics) can be used to aid drainage. IPCs rarely need to be removed and patients can generally be managed as outpatients. Work is ongoing to study the incidence and significance of IPC colonisation. Other topics of interest include topical mupirocin to prevent IPC infections, and whether IPCs can be designed to limit infection risk.

A Review of Medical Thoracoscopy and Its Role in Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion

Pleural effusion is the most common disease among all pleural diseases and affects 1.5 million patients per year in the United States. Different interventions can be performed when dealing with pleural effusions. In this review, we present medical thoracoscopy as a minimally invasive procedure with both diagnostic and therapeutic utility in the management of pleural disease. It has a higher diagnostic yield than commonly performed percutaneous procedures (thoracentesis, closed pleural biopsy) and simultaneously offers many of the therapeutic benefits of more invasive procedures, such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, with a lower risk profile. The role of medical thoracoscopy is evolving and will likely continue to expand as more centers start performing the procedure nationwide.

Abstract No. 353 Comparison of Repeat Thoracentesis and Indwelling Pleural Catheter for the Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions: A Retrospective Analysis of the MMIC-IV Database (2008-2019)

Abstract No. 353 Comparison of Repeat Thoracentesis and Indwelling Pleural Catheter for the Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions: A Retrospective Analysis of the MMIC-IV Database (2008-2019)

Impact of a dedicated malignant pleural effusion clinic on the management of malignant pleural effusion

Background: Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are common complications of advanced malignancy. The treatment of MPE is generally focused on palliation of respiratory symptoms. The main drawback of the traditional method of pleurodesis is the requirement for hospitalization. Objectives: To examine the safety, efficacy and economy of management of a dedicated MPE clinic. Methods and analysis: A retrospective cohort study was designed to compare complication rates, pleural effusion control, length of hospital stay, type of interventions, estimated hospital days saved between two three-year non-contemporary periods – before the implementation of MPE clinic and after. Results: Pre MPE clinic and MPE clinic group comprised of 115 and 161 patients respectively. The number of hospital admissions was lower in the MPE clinic period (42.4% vs 73.9%; p&lt;0.0001) and the pleural effusion control was higher in the same group (65.2% versus 51.3%; p=0.02). The estimated hospital days saved was 1001 days over 3 years. Conclusion: A dedicated malignant pleural effusion (MPE) clinic is a strategy of malignant effusion management that reduces hospital admission days and, will allow patients to spend more time outside hospital, reduce costs and save healthcare resources. Outpatient MPE clinic is of particular importance in the setting of the health care system and the overcrowded hospitals. The ability to avoid a one week hospitalization for a palliative intervention and replace it with a simple and effective outpatient procedure should appeal to patients and administrators alike.

Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Non-Expandable Lung: A Prospective Observational Study of M-Mode, B-Mode, and 2D-Shear Wave Elastography.

Non-expandable lung (NEL) has severe implications for patient symptoms and impaired lung function, as well as crucial implications for the management of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Indwelling pleural catheters have shown good symptom relief for patients with NEL; hence, identifying patients early in their disease is vital. With the inability of the lung to achieve pleural apposition following thoracentesis and the formation of a hydropneumothorax, traditionally, chest X-ray and clinical symptoms have been used to make the diagnosis following thoracentesis. It is our aim to investigate whether ultrasound measurement of lung movement during respiration can predict NEL before thoracentesis, thereby aiding clinicians in their planning for the optimal treatment of affected patients. A total of 49 patients were consecutively included in a single-centre trial performed at a pleural clinic. Patients underwent protocolled ultrasound assessment pre-thoracentesis with measurements of lung and diaphragm movement and shear wave elastography measurements of the pleura and pleural effusion at the planned site of thoracentesis. M-mode measurements of lung movement provided the best diagnostic ROC-curve results, with an AUC of 0.81. Internal validity showed good results utilising the calibration belt test and Brier test. M-mode measurement of lung movement shows promise in diagnosing NEL before thoracentesis in patients with known or suspected MPE. A validation cohort is needed to confirm the results.

Chinese expert consensus on treatment of malignant pleural effusion (2023 Edition)

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a pleural effusion that is caused by a malignant tumor originating in the pleura or by a metastatic malignant tumor from another site that has invaded the pleura. MPE is associated with poor prognosis. Members of the Pleural and Mediastinal Diseases Working Group (preparatory) of Chinese Thoracic Society and some external experts selected clinical issues related to the management of MPE and conducted rigorous evidence retrieval and evaluation. After several meetings and revisions of the manuscript, recommendations were made. This consensus applies to patients aged≥18 years old with MPE caused by various malignancies except for pleural mesothelioma. It included four chapters: pathogenesis of MPE, prognostic evaluation of MPE, local thoracic treatment, and systemic anticancer therapy for MPE.The main recommendations of this consensus are as follows:1. Prognosis evaluation of MPE was valuable in formulating treatment options. It is suggested to comprehensively evaluate the patient's prognosis by combining the patient's performance status, tumor type, and laboratory examination.2. It is recommended that in patients with symptomatic MPE, therapeutic thoracentesis could be used as the initial therapeutic option. Evaluate whether the lung is expandable after thoracentesis and drainage, and then develop a therapeutic regimen.3. In patients with MPE and known expandable or nonexpandable lung, an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) is recommended as a first-line pleural management. Daily IPC drainages are recommended. In patients with MPE and expandable lung, talc pleurodesis by talc poudrage or talc slurry is recommended if the drug is accessible. Other pleurodesis agents include povidone iodine, bleomycin, and doxycycline.4. After drainage, it is suggested to consider the option of intrapleural use of recombinant human endostatin or bevacizumab alone or in combination with intrapleural chemotherapy. Intrapleural intervention including electrocautery, argon knife, cryotherapy, laser and radiofrequency ablation, is recommended for use in patients who have undergone rigorous evaluation in eligible hospitals. The use of intrapleural urokinase or streptokinase via pleural catheter is recommended for patients with symptomatic MPE and loculated effusion.5. For patients with good performance status and metastatic malignancies, systemic anti-cancer treatment is recommended as standard of care.

A practical approach to the diagnosis and management of malignant pleural effusions in resource-constrained settings.

To provide clinicians practising in resource-constrained settings with a practical evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and management of malignant pleural effusions.To explain how to perform an ultrasound-guided closed pleural biopsy.To explain the cost-effective use of indwelling pleural catheters.

Management of malignant pleural effusion in Italian clinical practice: a nationwide survey

BackgroundPleural disease (PD), particularly malignant pleural effusion (MPE), is a common cause of hospital admission and its prevalence is rising worldwide. Recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic options, such as Indwelling Pleural Catheters (IPCs), have simplified PD treatment, allowing an effective outpatients management. Therefore, dedicated pleural services can improve PD care, guaranteeing specialized management and optimizing time and cost. We aimed to provide an overview on MPE management in Italy, mainly focused on distribution and characteristics of pleural services and IPCs use.MethodsA nationwide survey, endorsed by the Italian Thoracic Society, was distributed by email to members of selected subgroups in 2021.ResultsNinety (23%) members replied, most of whom being pulmonologists (91%). MPE resulted the most common cause of pleural effusion and was managed with heterogenous approaches, including talc pleurodesis via slurry (43%), talc poudrage (31%), repeated thoracentesis (22%) and IPCs insertion (2%). The setting of IPC insertion was inpatient care in 48% of cases, with a predominance of draining frequency every other day. IPC management mainly relied on caregivers (42%). The presence of a pleural service was reported by 37% of respondents.ConclusionsThe present study provides an extensive overview of MPE management in Italy, showing a highly heterogeneous approach, a scarce prevalence of out-patient pleural services, and a still limited adoption of IPCs, mainly due to lack of dedicated community care systems. This survey emphasizes the need of promoting a higher spreading of pleural services and an innovative healthcare delivery with more favourable cost-benefit ratio.

Combination Tissue Plasminogen Activator and DNase for Loculated Malignant Pleural Effusions: A Single-center Retrospective Review.

Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are frequently used for the management of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs), but drainage can be impaired by pleural loculations. We aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of intrapleural tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) versus combination tPA-deoxyribonuclease (DNase) in the treatment of loculated MPE. We performed a retrospective review of patients with confirmed or presumed MPEs requiring IPC insertion. We compared the efficacy of intrapleural tPA, tPA-DNase, and procedural intervention on pleural fluid drainage. Secondary endpoints included the need for future pleural procedures (eg, thoracentesis, IPC reinsertion, chest tube insertion, or surgical intervention), IPC removal due to spontaneous pleurodesis, and IPC-related complications. Among 437 patients with MPEs, loculations developed in 81 (19%) patients. Twenty-four (30%) received intrapleural tPA, 46 (57%) received intrapleural tPA-DNase, 4 (5%) underwent a procedural intervention, and 7 (9%) received ongoing medical management. tPA improved pleural drainage in 83% of patients, and tPA-DNase improved pleural drainage in 80% of patients. tPA alone may be associated with increased rates of spontaneous pleurodesis compared with tPA-DNase. There was no difference in complications when comparing tPA, combination tPA-DNase, procedural intervention, and no therapy. Both intrapleural tPA and combination tPA-DNase appear to be safe and effective in improving pleural fluid drainage in selected patients with loculated MPE, although further studies are needed.

Malignant Pleural Effusions in the Era of Immunotherapy and Antiangiogenic Therapy.

Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) have historically been associated with a poor prognosis, and patients often require a series of invasive procedures and hospitalizations that significantly reduce quality of life at the terminus of life. However, advances in the management of MPE have coincided with the era of immunotherapies, and to a lesser extent, antiangiogenic therapies for the treatment of lung cancer. Landmark studies have shown these drugs to improve overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with lung cancer, but a paucity of phase III trial data exists for the impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) on lung cancers associated with MPE. This review will focus on the leading studies investigating the impact of ICI and antiangiogenic therapies in patients with lung cancer and MPE. The diagnostic and prognostic values of vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin expression levels in malignancy will also be discussed. These advancements are changing the paradigm of MPE management from palliation to treatment for the first time since 1767 when MPE was first reported. The future holds the promise of durable response and extended survival in patients with MPE.

Malignant pleural effusion: Updates in diagnosis, management and current challenges.

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common condition which often causes significant symptoms to patients and costs to healthcare systems. Over the past decade, the management of MPE has progressed enormously with large scale, randomised trials answering key questions regarding optimal diagnostic strategies and effective management strategies. Despite a number of management options, including talc pleurodesis, indwelling pleural catheters and combinations of the two, treatment for MPE remains symptom directed and centered around drainage strategy. The future goals for providing improved care for patients lies in changing the treatment paradigm from a generic pathway to personalised care, based on probability of malignancy type and survival. This article reviews the current evidence base, new discoveries and future directions in the diagnosis and management of MPE.

UNCOMMON CAUSES OF RECURRENT UNILATERAL PLEURAL EFFUSIONS

UNCOMMON CAUSES OF RECURRENT UNILATERAL PLEURAL EFFUSIONS

Indwelling pleural catheter insertion for the management of malignant pleural effusion: exploring patients’ experiences

Malignant pleural effusion is a complication of advanced cancer that causes distressing dyspnoea (breathlessness). An indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) is an option for the management of recurrent effusions; however, patients’ experiences of IPC treatment have not been studied in detail.This article describes a service evaluation that was undertaken to explore patients’ experiences of IPC treatment when discharged home following insertion. Ten patients with malignant pleural effusion undergoing IPC insertion participated in semi-structured interviews, and the data from these were thematically analysed using the framework method. It was found that most patients reported symptomatic improvement as a result of the IPC, but this did not correlate with functional improvement. One patient had no symptomatic or functional improvement and regretted having the procedure. The IPC was preferred by patients compared with other management interventions they had received previously. Further studies are required to identify which patients are unlikely to experience symptomatic benefit from the use of IPCs.

Diagnosis and Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion: A Narrative Literature Review

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is defined as an effusion that occurs in association with malignancy, as evidenced by the finding of malignant cells on pleural fluid cytology or pleural biopsy. The pathophysiology of MPE is not yet clear, but several hypotheses have been developed to explain the mechanism of MPE. Accumulation of effusion in the pleural cavity occurs due to increased vascular permeability due to the inflammatory reaction caused by the infiltration of cancer cells in the parietal and/or visceral pleura. Other possible mechanisms are the direct invasion of the tumor adjacent to the pleura, obstruction of the lymph nodes, hematogenous spread, and primary pleural tumor. Pleural fluid from a malignant process is usually an exudate. To distinguish between exudate and transudate is to assess the protein and LDH levels of the pleural fluid. Hemorrhagic pleural fluid with a red blood cell count &gt;100,000/mm3 suggests an MPE. Pleural fluid glucose levels at low &lt; 60 mg/dl at about 15-20% MPE. The definitive diagnosis of MPE is by finding malignant cells in the pleural fluid (cytology) or pleural tissue (pathological histology). Management of malignant pleural effusions is principally palliative. Management that is often done in cases of MPE is therapeutic thoracentesis, pleurodesis, drainage with long-term indwelling catheter, manufacture of the pleuroperitoneal shunt, intrapleural therapy, and radiotherapy.

Non-Intubated Thoracic Surgery: Standpoints and Perspectives.

Non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (NI-VATS) combines the advantages of a non-intubated surgery with the benefits of a minimally invasive approach. First, NI-VATS is performed in the case of fragile patients when general anesthesia and/or orotracheal intubation can be foreseen as inconvenient. However, NI-VATS indications have been increasingly extended to different patient conditions, considering the increasingly assessed safety and feasibility of the procedure. Currently, the NI-VATS approach is used worldwide for different thoracic surgery procedures, including the management of malignant pleural effusion, surgical treatment of empyema, anatomical and non-anatomical lung resection, and other indications. In fact, this approach has shown to be less impactful than VATS under general anesthesia, allowing for shortened hospitalization and faster recovery after surgery. Besides, NI-VATS is associated with fewer pulmonary complications, less respiratory distress, and a mild systemic inflammatory reaction. For these reasons, this approach should be considered not only in patients with poor cardiac or respiratory function (general functional reserve), but also in other eligible conditions.We explored the anesthetic and surgical aspects of such an approach, including the management of analgesia, cough reflex, depth of sedation, and intraoperative technical issues to put this approach in perspective.

Recommendations of the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery for the management of malignant pleural effusion

This article summarizes the clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) sponsored by the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery (SECT). Ten clinical controversies were elaborated under the methodology of PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) questions and the quality of the evidence and grading of the strength of the recommendations was based on the GRADE system. Immunocytochemical and molecular analyses of pleural fluid may avoid further invasive diagnostic procedures. Currently, the definitive control of MPE can be achieved either by pleurodesis (talc poudrage or slurry) or the insertion of a indwelling pleural catheter (IPC). It is likely that the combination of both techniques (i.e., thoracoscopy with talc poudrage and insertion of a IPC, or instillation of talc slurry through a IPC) will have a predominant role in the future therapeutic management.