Pleural effusion

[Green999]

Hi, If someone with pleural effusion and OC? What treatments do you have?

[Lyndy]

I had this in 2020. My pe was drained, at first with an aspiration but when the fluid came straight back they put in a permanent IPC drain. Chemo dried up the fluid and my drains were removed after about 6 months xx

[Green999 in reply to Lyndy]

Thank you. My oncologist told me that because of pleural effusion no chemo will help me and I have limited months to live.

Please can you told me what kind of chemo you did after pleural effusion? I will be so grateful to receive this information.

[Lyndy in reply to Green999]

I had carboplatin. As long as the chemo works on the cancer it will naturally get rid of the pleural effusion too. I would suggest you get a second opinion xx

[Green999 in reply to Lyndy]

Thank you! This is a very good news you give me! I am without treatment since September. I decided that I will go to Europe- Bulgaria for treatment , where there cover me for Bevacizumab also.

That is very good news! I had a surgery September for plural effusion with full anesthesia and video cameras on lung, remove liquid, put talk and glue the pleura. Since then I do not have increased pleural effusion but not any treatment because my ca125 was 50. Now February ct scan shows few lymph nos increase…

[Frannyfrank52 in reply to Green999]

carboplatin and Toxal. dried PE up. tube out in about five months and they operated on abdominal area couldn’t get to my lung. that was five years ago this june lung kept at bay with toxal and avastin now just on avastin maintaince and no fluid in lung. although i have cancer nodules in lining of lung their just a thickening now. i would get some treatment

[AuntyE]

Hi, I have a pleural effusion at the moment. I had it drained about 10 days ago and am starting Caelyx next week in the hope that it will dry up the remaining fluid.

I also have nodules in the pleural space but am hopeful that the chemo will stabilise them. I’ve been told I will have a CT scan after 3 months and if no improvement then I can go on to weekly Taxol (I’m platinum resistant).

Your oncologist doesn’t seem very proactive - I think I would be looking for another one! Good luck xx

[Littlefluffycloud]

Hi, I have HGOC 4a diagnosed Jan 2023 and had pleural effusion and ascities. Both got drained and have not returned thanks to the chemo. (Carbo/taxol).

These results have been my most positive of my experience as my ops failed and Avastin hasn’t worked. The avastin (bevacizumab) not working has been a huge blow as it’s cut my prognosis by 2/3’s.

Definitely get chemo (and try bevac) it seems to help hugely with the pleural effusion. I am now starting cisplatin and truly hoping I can beat the prognosis by a long way.

And definitely change oncologist. Doing nothing is not an option unless that’s your choice. When they are talking months then even extending life by an extra 6 months with chemo is an extra (bittersweet ) gift.

I wish you all the best

xx

[Uniquem]

Hello, my mother had pleural effusion draining after she was first diagnosed in 2019. They also put some kind of medicine/powder in her lungs (not sure what it was, but it was to keep the effusion away). It hasn't returned since, thank God! You can read her storty in my profile, we're based in Bulgaria.

[Green999 in reply to Uniquem]

Hi Milena,

I am Bulgarian living in Canada. I hope you read my post for pleural effusion and my problems. I could not qualify here for Bevatisumab and will travel to Bulgaria very soon. I had a debunking surgery in Sofia in Tokuda removed all cancer in June 2022, return to Canada for chemotherapy. Tumor marker 13. I was on Zejula for six months and got pleural effusion. I was in Sofia and I got the same surgery as your mother. They want me to started chemo immediately, but again I return to Canada and my oncologist here left me without treatment from September until now and I got a lymph nodes around the pleura…when you mother is treated in Bulgaria? What kind of chemo after pleural effusion. My oncologist here every time told me that is not curable and I will going to die within few monts and nothing will help me. So I will travel to Bulgaria in two weeks.

Thank you, you give me hope.

[Uniquem in reply to Green999]

Hi again, Green999. I'm so sorry that you are going through this, especially the part that they told you such awful things about your situation. As for my mother, I honestly don't know what type of chemotherapy they used on her, I guess it's the "usual" first line chemo treatment for this type of cancer. Her whole treatment was in Bulgaria, starting from her debulking surgery in VMA, Sofia, to her chemo treatment & Olaparib prescriptions in the Oncology clinic in Varna, Asparuhovo. I don't know much about the details, but we're hopeful it continues to work for her. As for you, from what I see in your story, it's probably best to return to Bulgaria and ask for a second opinion/treatment options there (as you mentioned you intended to do.) Good luck, and I wish you only good news from now on!