Treatment

Treatment is based on treating the acute symptoms, and making the underlying diagnosis

• dexamethasone may be useful in acute SVCO
  • initial treatment consists of dexamethasone 16 mg daily orally to reduce oedema around the tumour (1)
• biopsy may be important
• radiotherapy or, if a sensitive tumour, then cytotoxic chemotherapy, are useful in the long term
• treatment may include insertion of a vascular stent
• note that there may be complete regression of signs of SVCO without complete regression of the mass

Reference:

• (1) West Midlands Palliative Care Physicians (2012). Palliative care - guidelines for the use of drugs in symptom control.