Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) refers to a clinical syndrome characterized by abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, resulting in tumor cell invasion or metastasis to the pleura, which increases pleural permeability and obstructs lymphatic drainage. MPE is a common complication of various advanced malignant tumors, especially lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancerand malignant lymphoma. The patients often present with symptoms such as dyspnea, chest tightness, coughand chest pain, which significantly affect their quality of life. The prognosis is generally poor, with a median survival of approximately 3～12 months^[1]. Currently, there is no curative treatment for MPE worldwide. Modern medical management focuses on controlling the primary tumor, alleviating symptomsand improving the quality of life. Common approaches include thoracentesis drainage, pleurodesis, intrapleural chemotherapy or targeted therapyand supportive care^[2]. However, most of these interventions are palliative, with limitations such as high recurrence rates, unstable efficacyand considerable adverse effects. Therefore, the clinical treatment strategies still require further optimization. In recent years, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine has shown certain advantages in improving symptoms, reducing pleural effusion recurrenceand enhancing the patients' quality of life, garnering increasing the attention from clinicians and patients. Integrated diagnosis and treatment emphasize combining standard modern medical management with the distinctive strengths of traditional Chinese medicine, such as syndrome differentiation, holistic regulationand personalized intervention, to form a systematic and individualized comprehensive treatment model. Given the current lack of uniform and standardized guidelines for the integrated diagnosis and treatment of MPE in clinical practice, and in order to better standardize and guide clinical management in line with China's national conditions and the latest research advances, the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) has developed the Expert Consensus on the Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusion (hereinafter referred to as Consensus). This Consensus aims to promote standardized integrated diagnosis and treatment of MPE in China and to improve clinical outcomes.

malignant pleural effusion  /  integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment  /  expert consensus