Many lung cancer patients develop a pleural effusion as their cancer progresses. Damage to the lung tissue leads to a buildup of fluid between the lungs and the walls of the chest cavity, causing a decrease in lung capacity. As a result, patients with advanced lung cancer have difficulty breathing, chronic shortness of breath and fluid in their lungs. Pleural effusions due to lung cancer may be treated with a number of therapies.
Fluid Drainage
A primary treatment for a malignant pleural effusion is fluid drainage. Since the increased pressure within the pleural cavity due to excess fluid leads to lung collapse, draining the fluid removes the pressure on the lungs, and may help improve lung functioning. The MacMillan Cancer Support website indicates that doctors use medical imaging of the chest to guide a small drain into the pleural cavity to avoid damage to other tissues around the lungs. The doctor makes a small incision in the chest and guides a needle into the fluid, then attaches the needle to a drainage bag and removes the excess fluid. In some cases, patients may require multiple drainages to fully remove the pleural effusion fluid.
Pleurodesis
Once the fluid has been removed, the lung will usually reinflate with air when the patient inhales, allowing proper lung functioning. In some cases, the patient may require an additional treatment called pleurodesis to prevent the further accumulation of fluid around the lungs and keep the lungs inflated. According to the CancerHelp UK website, pleurodesis involves using chemical powders to promote inflammation in the lining around the lungs, causing the layers of tissue to stick together to keep the lungs inflated. The site notes that while pleurodesis does not treat the lung cancer, it can relieve some symptoms associated with lung cancer development.
Chemotherapy
To treat the underlying cause of pleural effusions in lung cancer, doctors must treat the cancer itself. Many patients with lung cancer receive chemotherapy drugs to damage lung cancer cells, leading to tumor shrinkage. Chemo drugs may be administered alone or as part of a drug cocktail to kill cancer cells in the lung tissue, as well as any lung cancer cells that have migrated away from the lungs. Lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy may develop a number of side effects from their treatment, including nausea, hair loss or anemia. The use of chemotherapy drugs can help prevent the formation of pleural effusions in the future by treating lung cancer growth.
