Abdominal Emergencies in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Abdominal emergencies in cancer patients encompass a wide spectrum of oncologic conditions caused directly by malignancies, paraneoplastic syndromes, reactions to the chemotherapy or often represent the first clinical manifestation of an unknown malignancy. Not rarely, clinical symptoms are the tip of an iceberg. In this scenario, the radiologist is asked to exclude the cause responsible for the patient’s symptoms, to suggest the best way to manage and to rule out the underlying malignancy. In this article, we discuss some of the most common abdominal oncological emergencies that may be encountered in an emergency department.

Imaging in Non-Traumatic Emergencies

“…Today, diagnosis via imaging has almost entirely replaced physical examination in the emergency room, and the Radiologist has become of primary importance in this setting. However, close co-operation among the various specialists involved is essential for successful patient management, and thus the Radiologist needs to have a full understanding of all the imaging modalities and technical skills required, as well as appropriate clinical knowledge of the disorder in order to manage the condition [ 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. This Special Issue aims to provide a review of the multifaceted etiology, pathophysiology and clinical presentation of some emergency conditions in different scenarios, focusing on the imaging features that are relevant to a timely management approach.…”

Comment on: Abdominal Emergencies in Cancer Patients

“…Management is generally challenging due to the complicated status. The viewpoints of Scaglione et al 1 should raise essential concerns.…”

Reply to the Comment on: Abdominal Emergencies in Cancer Patients

“…Thank you very much for this extremely valuable and insightful comment 1 on our recent paper 2 Abdominal emergencies in cancer patients encompass a wide spectrum of oncologic conditions caused directly by malignancies, paraneoplastic syndromes, reactions to the chemotherapy, or often represent the first clinical manifestation of an unknown malignancy. 3,4 Not rarely, clinical symptoms are the tip of an iceberg.…”