Diagnosis and treatment of oncologic emergencies

The incidence of cancer is increasing; however, mortality rates have decreased in the past 30 years, largely because of increased awareness and early detection methods. The majority of cancer cases are treated as serious conditions, but not all are considered urgent.Some cases, known as oncologic emergencies, are identified as critical. This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of common and potentially life-threatening oncologic emergencies such as metabolic, hematologic, and structural emergencies, as well as the role of the radiologic technologist and cancer care team.