Review of Hematology-Oncology Emergencies for Internal Medicine Residents

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 1; p. e33563
• Main Authors: Baralo, Bohdan, Ramesh, Nithya, Deshpande, Sohiel, Buragamadagu, Bhanusowymya C, Khanam, Aliza, Paravathaneni, Mahati, Mulla, Sana, Bedi, Verushka, Thota, Vihitha, Baralo, Raisa, Jain, Akhil, Choi, Eugene, Thirumaran, Rajesh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Bisphosphonates; Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Emergencies; Hematology; Hydration; Internal medicine; Lung cancer; Medical prognosis; Melanoma; Mesothelioma; Metastasis; Mortality; Multiple myeloma; Neuroendocrine tumors; Phosphorus; Potassium; Prostate; Quality of life; Spinal cord; Steroids; Surgery; Urine; Vertebrae; critical care; oncology emergencies; internal medicine residency; educational practicies; hematology emergencies
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33563

The prevalence of cancer continues to grow globally every year. With therapeutic advances over the recent decades, the prevalence of individuals living with cancer continues to increase. Internal medicine residents can see patients admitted to the hospital for cancer-related emergencies. Early identification and appropriate management of these emergencies have been shown to improve mortality and morbidity. In this article, we aim to review the recent updates in the management of commonly encountered oncologic emergencies in the practice of internal medicine residents. This review will cover spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, tumor lysis syndrome, hypercalcemia, pericardial tamponade, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, bowel obstruction, increased intracranial pressure, leukostasis, hyperviscosity syndrome, neutropenic fever, and hypersensitivity reactions.