Management of pleural effusions in cancer of the breast.

To the Editor: In the article entitled "Management of Pleural Effusions in Breast Cancer" (Chest 7 5 : 5 1 5 3 , 1 9 7 9 ) , Lees and Hoy report their experience in treating pleural effusions associated with carcinoma of the breast. While their study is a retrospective analysis, the numbers are large, and their technique for instillation of sclerosing agents into the pleural space following drainage via a chest tube appears adequate. 1 Since it is recognized that carcinoma of the breast is a malignant neoplasm producing malignant effusions in which the prognosis is not so ominous, successful management of these effusions is extremely important.