Endovascular treatment of malignant superior vena cava syndrome secondary to lung cancer

ABSTRACTObjectives: Superior Vena Cava obstruction results in severe oedema of the upper thorax. Endovascular treatment allows a rapid restoration of the blood flow with a rapid resolution of symptoms. We retrospectively report a single institution’s experience in stent placement for malignant Superior Vena Cava Syndrome (SVCS) caused by lung cancer.Methods: Thirty-three consecutive patients (23 men, 10 women; median age, 57.6 years; range 34-71 years) who underwent endovascular SVCS palliative treatment were enrolled between August 2002 and June 2015. All patients presented SVCS secondary to lung cancer. Signs and symptoms of SVCS were scored.Results: All procedures were successfully completed (100% technical success rate). Twenty-eight patients showed a progressive clinical improvement after endovascular treatment of SVCS (84.8% clinical success rate) within 48 hours, there were five clinical failures which improved progressively with posterior radiotherapy. During follow-up, three patients (9%) suffere...