Serious Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Lung Cancer

Pleural Effusion

Half of all individuals who receive a lung cancer diagnosis have experienced pleural effusion as a symptom of their disease. Healthy individuals have about a teaspoon of fluid that resides in the pleural space between the external surface of the lung and the wall of the chest to lubricate the membranes and facilitate smooth movement. When more fluid accumulates in the pleural space and begins to cause symptoms, it is called pleural effusion. Many factors can cause this to occur, including malignancy of the lung. The cancerous tumor inside of the lung grows into the pleural space, causing the fluid in the pleura to house the cancer cells. In a healthy individual, excess fluid would be reabsorbed into circulation by the blood and lymphatic system. However, when cancerous cells invade into the pleura and riddle the accumulated fluid, the body can no longer effectively absorb the fluid. In addition, the tumor can compromise venous functionality in the chest area, which causes fluid to leak out of the veins into the pleural space. When the pleural effusion or fluid accumulation in the pleura becomes severe and places significant pressure on the lung, the organ can collapse.