What to do about lung cancer with pericardial effusion metastasis
Disease description:
My aunt is very overweight and has a history of diabetes. The hospital diagnosed her with cancer in the right lung, and there is also fluid accumulation around the heart (pericardial effusion). I would like to ask, what should be done if lung cancer has metastasized to the pericardial effusion?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Li Jingli
Lung cancer metastasis to the pericardial cavity with resultant pericardial effusion is a severe complication of advanced lung cancer, requiring timely comprehensive treatment measures.
For pericardial effusion, if the volume of fluid is large and causing severe symptoms such as cardiac tamponade, pericardiocentesis and drainage should be performed immediately to relieve cardiac compression and improve patient symptoms. At the same time, treatment of the lung cancer itself is necessary, primarily involving chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Based on the patient's genetic profiling results, an individualized treatment plan should be formulated to control tumor progression and reduce the production of pericardial effusion. Additionally, symptomatic treatments such as oxygen administration, blood pressure support, and anti-inflammatory therapy should be provided to improve the patient's overall condition.
The treatment of lung cancer metastasis presenting as pericardial effusion should comprehensively consider the patient's individual circumstances and adopt a multidisciplinary collaborative approach to enhance treatment efficacy and prolong patient survival.
