Pericardial diseases in patients with cancer: contemporary prevalence, management and outcomes

What is it about?

• Neoplastic pericardial effusion is a common and serious manifestation of advanced malignancies.
 • Lung and breast carcinoma, haematologic malignancies, and gastrointestinal cancer are the most common types of cancer involving the pericardium.
 • Pericardial involvement in neoplasia may arise from several different pathophysiological mechanisms, and may be manifested by pericardial effusion with or without tamponade, effusive constrictive-pericarditis, and constrictive pericarditis. 
 • Management of these patients is a complex multidisciplinary problem, affected by clinical status and prognosis of patients.

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