Summary of Key Points Etiology The liver is a common site of metastatic disease in most gastrointestinal cancers owing to hepatic portal venous drainage. Diagnostic and Preoperative Evaluation Clinical risk scores, which predict prognosis for metastatic liver disease, are less…
Summary of Key Points Background and Etiology Lung metastases may develop in the lung parenchyma, lymph nodes, or pleura of the lung, and may occur because of genetic or immunologic changes and/or the co-opting of normal cellular processes to assist…
Summary of Key Points Incidence Bone metastasis is a major cause of (often prolonged) morbidity in persons with cancer. Bone metastasis is especially prevalent in persons with breast and prostatic cancers. Causes Disseminated tumor cells are attracted to vascular, osteoblastic,…
Summary of Key Points Incidence Central nervous system (CNS) metastases are common, affecting as many as 20% of patients with cancer. Less often, the dura, leptomeninges, skull base, or cranial nerves may be affected. The most frequent primary tumor types…
Summary of Key Points Incidence Forty percent of cancer patients develop spinal metastases. Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) occurs in 2.5% of cancer patients within the last 5 years of life. The highest incidence of MESCC is in patients…
Summary of Key Points Etiology Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is usually caused by a neoplastic process, predominantly primary lung carcinoma, with a disproportionate number of patients having small cell histology; non-Hodgkin lymphoma and metastatic tumors are the next most…
Summary of Key Points Gastrointestinal Perforation Perforation affects approximately 20% of patients with acute abdominal emergencies. Bowel perforation can be caused by tumor rupture, tumor necrosis, adverse events of systemic therapy (e.g., targeted therapy, immunotherapy, steroids), radiation therapy, or inflammatory…
Summary of Key Points Oncology clinicians must assess patients' willingness to discuss prognosis and deliver this information clearly and truthfully. Patient decisions about resuscitation preferences and disease-directed therapy, including early drug development trials, should be discussed in the context of…
Summary of Key Points Subsequent malignancies after successful treatment for cancer occur in a meaningful minority of persons. The etiology is often multifactorial and includes known hereditary conditions, unrecognized genetic predisposition, primary cancer, therapeutic exposures, age, and lifestyle practices. Guidelines…
Summary of Key Points The number of individuals in the United States living with a cancer history will continue to rise over the next decade, reaching over 20 million by the year 2026; more than two-thirds of these individuals will…