Fluid drained from lung

[Aliollie]

Does anybody know how long you can carry on having the fluid drained from the lung due to ovarian cancer. Thank you wishing you all a lovely day tomorrow xx

[Hidden]

I guess it depends on the context. Do you mean if treatment isn't working? Normally, the patient would be having some kind of chemo or immunotherapy to treat the cancer causing the pleural effusion, so if the treatment works, the effusion will dry up & drains would eventually be unnecessary. If it doesn't work, the cancer continues to grow/spread, so the drains would be needed as long as this continues. They may then have a pleurex drain (catheter for self draining) installed or a talc procedure on lungs . My own experience: I had fluid drained from next to my lungs last year a month or so after DX and again recently on recurring. My second line chemo (Caelyx and carboplatin) seems to be working because the effusion has largely dried up. I had a rocket drain put in before the chemo began to work, so the oncologists were expecting to need to drain me repeatedly. Other women may have had different experiences. I obviously don't have any definitive answer to your question.

[Horsesrock]

I had a rocket drain inserted about a month ago. I think it can stay indefinitely but hope is the chemo will dry things up. But like Errin I don't have a definitive answer. x