How long one can live after a pleural effusion needs to be judged according to the cause of the effusion, and cannot be generalized. Pleural effusion, clinically known as pleural effusion, is mainly an accumulation of pathological fluid in the pleural cavity and is generally divided into leaky pleural effusion and exudative pleural effusion. Leaky pleural effusion is commonly seen in patients with heart failure, liver cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome, etc., while exudative pleural effusion is seen in malignant tumors of the pleura, infections of the pleural cavity, systemic lupus erythematosus, and trauma. Usually, after active treatment of the primary disease, most pleural effusions can disappear and will not affect the survival time of patients. However, if it is caused by malignant tumor, it usually indicates advanced stage of tumor and most of them have poor prognosis. Most patients have a survival period of about half a year, but there is also a possibility of survival for several years, but the chance is small and needs specific analysis. It is suggested that patients should go to the hospital thoracic surgery department in time to clarify the nature of effusion, actively treat the primary disease, and take drainage of pleural effusion if necessary to relieve symptoms.