Lung cancer. Palliative care

Chest. 2003 Jan;123(1 Suppl):284S-311S. doi: 10.1378/chest.123.1_suppl.284s.

Abstract

The majority of patients who acquire lung cancer will have troublesome symptoms at some time during the course of their disease. Some of the symptoms are common to many types of cancers, while others are more often encountered with lung cancer than other primary sites. The most common symptoms are pain, dyspnea, and cough. This document will address the management of these symptoms, and it will also address the palliation of specific problems that are commonly seen in lung cancer: metastases to the brain, spinal cord, and bones; hemoptysis; tracheoesophageal fistula; and obstruction of the superior vena cava.

Publication types

  • Guideline
  • Practice Guideline
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics / therapeutic use
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary
  • Bone Neoplasms / therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / secondary
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy
  • Bronchoscopy / methods
  • Cough / drug therapy
  • Cough / etiology
  • Dyspnea / drug therapy
  • Dyspnea / etiology
  • Epidural Neoplasms / secondary
  • Epidural Neoplasms / therapy
  • Hemoptysis / etiology
  • Hemoptysis / therapy
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / complications
  • Lung Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Pain / etiology
  • Pain Management*
  • Palliative Care* / methods
  • Palliative Care* / standards
  • Pleural Effusion, Malignant / complications
  • Pleural Effusion, Malignant / therapy
  • Radiotherapy / methods
  • Spinal Cord Compression / etiology
  • Spinal Cord Compression / therapy
  • Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / etiology
  • Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / therapy
  • Tracheoesophageal Fistula / etiology
  • Tracheoesophageal Fistula / therapy

Substances

  • Analgesics