Neoplastic pericardial disease in lung cancer: Impact on outcomes of different treatment strategies. A multicenter study

Local chemotherapy, alone or with systemic chemotherapy, is effective in treating pericardial metastases from lung carcinoma, leading to a good control of pericardial effusion in 92% of cases, and to complete disappearance of effusion and masses in 65%. Combined therapy is significantly better than any other treatment. Pericardiocentesis and intrapericardial chemotherapy should be used whenever possible in lung cancer neoplastic pericardial disease, not only in case of tamponade.