Survival time for older adults with pleural effusions is related to the cause of the condition, the individual’s physical fitness, the severity of the condition, and the type of treatment. In the less severe cases, survival time is almost unaffected by aggressive treatment. In the case of malignant pleural effusions, survival time can be significantly reduced to as little as a few months if the condition is not treated aggressively. Infectious diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung abscess have little or no effect on survival time when treated aggressively. However, if the infection is more serious, the patient’s physical condition is poor and untreated, it may cause systemic infection and shorten the survival time. Malignant pleural effusion caused by a malignant tumor invading the pleura may have a survival time of only a few months or so if the patient is in poor physical condition, has a poor prognosis, and the disease progresses rapidly. If pleural effusion (fluid that stays in the chest cavity) is effectively controlled by aggressive treatment, survival time may be delayed. It is recommended that older adults with pleural effusions be treated aggressively to delay survival time and improve quality of life.