Comprehensive management of respiratory symptoms in patients with advanced lung cancer

Abstract

Patients with advanced lung cancer experience a high symptom burden with great impact upon functional status and quality of life and poor long-term survival. Respiratory symptoms, like dyspnea, cough, and hemoptysis, are highly prevalent and cause profound distress at the time of diagnosis and as disease progresses. This review discusses common reversible causes of dyspnea and examines pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to symptom management of dyspnea, cough, and hemoptysis.