6. Chemotherapy & miscellaneous

True or False: Chemotherapy is rarely utilized to tx lung cancer

False: it is commonly used

Why is chemotherapy commonly used to tx lung cancer?

2 reasons:

1. 50% of lung ca pts have metastasis at time of diagnosis

2. 90% of lung ca pts develop metastasis

What chemo drug is used to tx lung cancer? Bold the best more.

1. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)

2. Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)  

Which chemo drug should you watch out for when txing lung cancer and why?

Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) due to its cardiac toxicity that is negatively synergistic with RTT

What syndrome is often the initial presenting symptom for a minority (5%) of cancer patients

SVC

What does SVC stand for?

Superior Vena Cava Syndrome

T/F: To tx SVC you first need a tissue diagnosis to figure out what type of lung cancer you are treating

False (cuz its an emergency)

What are the 2 symptoms of SVC?

1. Upper thoracic & facial edema

2. Cyanosis (specially on the lips)

How is SVC treated?

SVC responds well to:

RTT Decompression of SVC

How long does it take for RTT Decompression of SVC to work?

successful in 2-3 days

More ___ mets arise from lung cancers than from any other site

1. Lung

2. Liver

3. Brain

4. Bone

3. Brain