The Experiences of Patients Living With Malignant Pleural Effusions

The Experiences of Patients Living With Malignant Pleural Effusions

Up to 20 patients with malignant pleural effusions will be interviewed about their experiences of having this condition and its management.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults diagnosed with a malignant pleural effusion
2. Has undergone either talc pleurodesis or IPC
3. Have signed a consent form prior to entering the study
4. Life expectancy > 6 weeks based on LENT guidelines (Low/Moderate risk group) - The LENT score calculation assigns 0 (<1500 IU/L) or 1 (>1500 IU/L) for pleural fluid LDH level; 0 to 3 points for matching ECOG performance scores (3 and 4 are combined); 0 (<9) or 1 (>9) for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; and 0 (lowest risk), 1 (moderate risk), or 3 (highest risk) for tumor type.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any patient who is unable to understand sufficient English to take part in the semi-structured interviews
2. Weakness or fatigue sufficient so that the patient is unable to take part in the interviews