A Three-Step Diagnostic Strategy for Malignant Pleural Effusions

New diagnostic tools, such as high fluorescence cells (HFc) and tumor markers (TMs), have emerged in the quest to accurately diagnose malignant pleural effusion (MPE). This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of the HFc and TMs combination. Hospitalized patients with pleural effusion were recruited at Parc Taulí University Hospital in Sabadell (Spain). Pleural fluid (PF) and serum samples were collected and analyzed in the Clinical Laboratory, and PF samples were sent to the Pathology Department for cytological examination. PF cell counts were determined using an XN-10 analyzer (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan); TMs (CEA, CA 19.9, CA 15.3, CA 72.4, and CYFRA 21.1) were assessed using Cobas e801 (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). An MPE diagnosis was made based on positive cytology and/or positive pleural biopsy. A diagnostic algorithm was developed to detect MPE starting with an initial HFc screening, followed by TM determination with specific cutoffs depending on fluid type. The study included 300 pleural effusions from 209 patients. The algorithm had a sensitivity of 68% and a negative predictive value of 93%; its specificity and positive predictive value were both 100%. When combined with cytology, the sensitivity of the algorithm increased to 85%, and its negative predictive value to 96%. Our algorithm exhibited promising diagnostic performance and could serve as a non-invasive tool for MPE detection. HFc screening helps identify potential MPE cases, and TM assessment, with its high specificity, contributes to MPE confirmation. Furthermore, establishing different TM cutoffs based on fluid type increases sensitivity without reducing specificity by introducing false positives.