Critical care of the patient with lung cancer

Critical care of patients with lung cancer requires a knowledge of the behavior of this malignancy and the implications of several prognostic variables. Lung cancer's location, cellular characteristics, and metastatic patterns predispose patients to many emergencies that may require critical care intervention. In this article, the author presents important background on the behavior of this malignancy, its treatment, and predicted critical care problems. Included is a discussion of complications such as spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, airway obstruction, pleural effusions, and neoplastic cardiac tamponade, with an overview of common paraneoplastic syndromes. A case study exemplifies a possible presentation and management of a patient with lung cancer and some of these complications.