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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
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Published on: December 21, 2019
Prognosis of Cancer with Synchronous or Metachronous Malignant Pleural Effusion
José M Porcel1,2, Cristina Solé3, Antonieta Salud4,5
1Pleural Medicine Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital, Avda Alcalde Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain. jporcelp@yahoo.es.
Purpose:
Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) may either coincide with or follow the diagnosis of a primary tumor. Whether this circumstance influences prognosis has not been well substantiated.
Methods:
Retrospective review of all consecutive patients who were cared for at a Spanish university hospital during an 11-year period and received a diagnosis of MPE.
Results:
Of 401 patients, the MPE was the first evidence of cancer in 265 (66%), and it followed a previously diagnosed neoplasm in 136 (34%). Lung cancer predominated in the former group (131, 50%), and breast cancer in the latter (55, 40%). MPE that were the presenting manifestation of hematological and ovarian tumors had a statistically significant survival advantage as compared to those which developed in patients from a previously known cancer (respective absolute differences of 41 and 20 months; p < 0.005).
Conclusions:
In hematological and ovarian malignancies, the synchronous or metachronous diagnosis of MPE may have prognostic implications.
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