Oncologic emergencies in primary care. Five malignancy-associated conditions to watch for

Acute problems requiring emergency management may occur in association with malignancy. The most common are superior vena cava syndrome, compression of the spinal cord or cauda equina, hypercalcemia, tumor lysis syndrome, and fever in the neutropenic patient. Successful management requires that the physician be aware of the potential for such an emergency in a cancer patient and give priority to treatment, based on clinical evidence and a few essential studies, over definitive diagnosis.