Akuttherapie onkologischer Notfälle

Malignancies can cause symptoms which need rapid and adequate diagnosis and therapy. Examples are superior vena cava syndrome or malignant pericardial effusions. Paraneoplastic endocrine disorders are rarely responsible for acute emergencies in oncology. Tumor-related hypercalcemia may require rapid treatment. It can be caused by paraneoplastic phenomena or bone metastasis. At times, adverse effects of antineoplastic therapy can present as an emergency requiring rapid and directed therapy. Examples include the tumor lysis syndrome or acute, severe side effects of antineoplastic agents, e.g., allergic reactions to antibody treatment or 5-fluorouracil induced myocardial ischemia. Neutropenic fever is observed more frequently. It is a consequence of impaired antimicrobial defence during drug induced bone marrow suppression. This review summarizes these oncological emergencies and their therapy.