Metastatic pleural tumor

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Pleural space

Metastatic pleural tumors are a type of cancer that has spread from another organ to the space surrounding the lungs.

Tumor - metastatic pleural

Cancer cells can be transported by the blood and lymph systems to other organs in the body, where they can produce new growths or tumors. Almost any cancer can spread to the lungs, and metastases (spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body) are found in 20-40% of patients dying of cancer.

Metastatic pleural tumors usually cause a pleural effusion (collection of fluid in the pleural space), which is often bloody. Patients who have previously had cancer are at risk for developing metastatic pleural tumors if the cancer was not successfully controlled with treatment. The incidence is 5 out of 10,000 people.

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.