Table 1. Characteristics of the population (n=101).
| Characteristics | Value |
|---|---|
| Mean age [range], years | 66.2 [35–87] |
| Gender, n (%) | |
| Males | 66 (65.3) |
| Females | 35 (34.6) |
| PE, n (%) | |
| At diagnosis of lung carcinoma | 76 (75.2) |
| At follow-up | 25 (24.7) |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | |
| Adenocarcinoma | 71 (70.3) |
| Squamous cell carcinoma | 13 (12.9) |
| Small cell carcinoma | 12 (11.9) |
| Large cell carcinoma | 5 (5.0) |
| Type of intervention, n (%) | |
| Thoracocentesis | 91 (90.1) |
| Cytology + | 55 (54.5) |
| Cytology – | 36 (35.6) |
| Thoracoscopy | 52 (51.5) |
| Cytology + | 32 (31.7) |
| Cytology – | 16 (15.8) |
| Pleural biopsy + | 38 (37.6) |
| Pleural biopsy – | 2 (2.0) |
| CT, n (%) | 32 (31.7) |
| Pleural lesion | 1 (1.0) |
| Pleural thickening | 8 (7.9) |
| Nodule/masse | 6 (5.9) |
| Thickening + nodule/mass | 17 (16.8) |
| PET-FDG | 47 |
| Fixation, n (%) | 32 (68.1) |
| SUV max (mean ± SD) | 6.3±2.5 |
| Stage at diagnosis, n (%) | |
| NSCLC | |
| IV | 78 (86.7) |
| III | 11 (12.2) |
| II | 1 (1.2) |
| SCLC | |
| Localized | 2 (16.7) |
| Diffuse | 10 (83.3) |
| Treatment, n (%) | |
| Chemotherapy | 76 (75.2) |
| Radiation therapy | 22 (21.8) |
| TKIs | 31 (30.7) |
| Surgery | 1 (1.0) |
| None | 20 (19.8) |
| Multiple | 38 (37.6) |
PE, pleural effusion; CT, computed tomography; PET, positron emission tomography; FDG, fluorodeoxyglucose; SUV, standardized uptake values; SD, standard deviation; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; SCLC, small cell lung cancer; TKIs, tyrosine kinase inhibitors