LENT Score: Predicting the Survival of Malignant Pleural Effusion – A Prospective Study of Three Years

Introduction: Malignant pleural effusion(MPE) has a dim prognosis. The adoption of measures considering the individual prognosis is vital. In 2014 a score to predict the survival of MPE patients was created (Clive, AO et al;Thorax 2014;69:1098-1104). Few studies are available evaluating its performance in clinical practice. Aim: Evaluate the performance of LENT score in predicting MPE survival. Methods: We included patients with a new diagnosis of MPE from January 2016 to December 2018. LENT score and time of diagnosis and death were recorded. We used Kaplan–Meier method to estimate survival in each group. Results: We included 69 patients. Lung adenocarcinoma was the most common tumor type. LENT’s low, moderate and high risk groups comprised 4, 46 and 19 patients. Survival analysis showed statistically significant differences between the groups (p Conclusion: LENT score is a simple and accessible tool, capable of accurately predict survival in MPE. Nonetheless, it is likely that adjustments are required to predict survival in certain groups.