Emergent signs of cancer. Recognizing them early in the office or ER

Primary care physicians have a crucial role in recognition of potentially emergent conditions in patients with known or suspected cancer. This task presents a significant challenge because the initial manifestations of these conditions are usually nonspecific. In most cases, therapy is far more effective when diagnosis is made at the earliest possible point. Thus, physicians should become familiar with conditions commonly seen in cancer patients, such as superior vena cava syndrome, malignant pericardial effusion, spinal-epidural metastasis, and altered mentation from brain metastases, metabolic encephalopathy, or hypoglycemia.