Prognostic Impact of Minimal Pleural Effusion in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The authors evaluated the impact of small (<10mm) pleural effusion on outcomes in patients with NSCLC.  Of over 2000 pts, minimal PE was present in 13%.  It was more common in patients with more advanced stages.  Minimal PE was associated with decreased median survival (7.7 vs 17.7 mos) after adjustment for other prognostic variables.  The impact on outcomes was greater for earlier stages of disease.