Radiation therapy: High-energy radiation, such as X-rays, can destroy cancer cells in the pleura, and UT Southwestern is a recognized leader in the development and use of this approach.Chemotherapy can also be used in conjunction with radiation therapy (chemoradiation) to treat unknown primary pleural cancer. Treatment with medication: Chemotherapy drugs, taken orally or intravenously, can target and kill cancer cells in the pleura.UT Southwestern’s thoracic cancer specialists might consider these therapies for treating unknown primary pleural cancer: Treatment options for unknown primary pleural cancer depend on the cancer’s precise location and stage the patient’s overall health, goals, and preferences and other factors. Endoscopic ultrasonography: This technology maps sound waves to help physicians visualize pleural cancer.Īdditional testing might also include a tissue sample (biopsy) of the pleural tissue to determine the presence of cancer.Positron emission tomography (PET) : Cancer cells absorb large amounts of radioactive sugar used in this technique, and a special camera creates images of that radioactivity, enabling physicians to identify cancerous cells in the pleura.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) : MRI helps physicians identify suspicious areas that could indicate unknown primary pleural cancer and learn if and how far it has spread.Contrast-enhanced or multidetector computed tomography (CT) scan : CT technology helps physicians visualize the location and extent of unknown primary pleural cancer.Chest X-ray : This type of imaging is used to visualize abnormalities in the pericardium.Imaging techniques used to diagnose pleural cancer might include: In some cases, pathologists can determine the primary cancer that has spread to the pleura. Further tests might be needed to help determine the cancer’s stage and precise location. We will conduct a physical examination and order tests to diagnose pleural cancer. Pleural cancer might not have symptoms at first, or it might produce symptoms similar to lung cancer. Our thoracic cancer physicians work closely with UT Southwestern pathologists to identify cancers that have spread to the pleura, enabling the most appropriate treatment. UT Southwestern’s experienced chest (thoracic) cancer physicians expertly diagnose and treat both primary and unknown primary pleural cancer. Primary pleural cancer is cancer that develops in the pleural cavity itself, such as malignant pleural mesothelioma, but this type is less common.ĭetermining the cancer’s origin and degree of involvement often requires special diagnostic testing and procedures. It has most commonly spread to the pleural space from the lung but can come from the breast, ovary, pancreas, colon, and other locations. For this reason, the disease is sometimes referred to as unknown primary pleural cancer. Cancer that occurs in the pleural cavity has most often spread (metastasized) to the pleura from somewhere else in the body.

Pleural cancer occurs outside the lungs in the chest or pleural cavity and along the pleural lining, the membrane that surrounds the lungs and covers the inside of the chest cavity.

Pleural space