Management of the malignant pleural effusion.

The proper management of a pleural effusion in a patient with malignancy is based on an understanding of the normal anatomy and physiology of the pleural space and the ways in which they are altered by disease. The major challenge in diagnosing and treating a cancer patient who develops a pleural effusion is determining the cause of the effusion accurately and quickly and choosing a treatment that is best suited to the individual patient. Careful selection of the treatment for pleural effusions, however, relieves symptoms in the vast majority of patients with little accompanying morbidity.