6: Summary of treatments for malignant pleural effusions

This chapter gives an overview of the treatments we have talked about so far.

The question ‘do you have a trapped lung?‘ is a really important one to identify the right treatment options.

Sometimes there is no way of knowing but it is important to ask your doctors or nurses. They might have Chest x-rays from when you have had fluid drained before which can help decide if you have a trapped lung.

Sometimes, patients and doctors/nurses decide to do a temporary fluid drainage first (a therapeutic pleural aspiration) before one of the other options. They will do a Chest x-ray straight after this drainage and this can help decide if you have a trapped lung and you can then decide on the right treatment for you.

If your doctors and nurses don’t think you have a trapped lung, then have a think about whether you would like to focus on stopping the fluid being produced (a ‘pleurodesis’) or whether the focus is making the symptoms better