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Dyspnea
The term "dyspnea" means difficulty breathing, and it is a sign of disease of the airway, lungs, or heart. The term does not refer to any specific physical condition, but instead describes an individual's awareness of discomfort from breathing, or a general sense of breathlessness (1). It is a common condition among individuals with cancer (2).
It has been reported that 49% of a general cancer population reported dyspnea; 20% of those rated their breathlessness as moderate or severe. Dyspnea is an especially common complaint among individuals with lung cancer, and in a sample of 289 patients, a 1993 study showed that 60% experienced the symptom. A large study in 1986 recorded that 70% of lung cancer patients suffered from dyspnea in the final six weeks of life (2).
Dyspnea in individuals with cancer can occur for a number of reasons, and generally fall into four categories: 1) As a direct result of an airway obstruction from a tumor or other physical reaction to the cancer; 2) as an indirect result of the tumor, such as pneumonia or a blood clot in the artery of the lung, known as pulmonary embolus; 3) from scarring of the lung (pulmonary fibrosis) or inflammation of the heart (cardiomyopathy) as a result of radiation or chemotherapy treatment; and 4) from causes unrelated to the cancer, such as a pre-existing congestive heart failure condition (2, 3, 4, 5).
If dyspnea is the result of an obstruction, it can sometimes be resolved through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery, which may serve to diminish or remove the obstructing tumor and allow normal breathing to resume. If the dyspnea is a result of the side-effects of cancer treatment or the result of a pre-existing condition, direct treatment of these conditions may reduce the frequency and/or intensity of dyspnea. Oxygen therapy and treatment with various medications can sometimes provide symptomatic relief from dyspnea.
- "Dyspnea." From MedicineNet.com. Available: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3145 (Accessed July 22, 2007).
- "Dyspnea and Coughing in Patients with Advanced Cancer." From the National Cancer Institute's website. Available: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/cardiopulmonary/HealthProfessional/page2 (Accessed July 22, 2007).
- "Pulmonary embolus." From MedlinePlus, a website by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Available: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000132.htm (Accessed July 22, 2007).
- "What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?" From PulmonaryFibrosis.org. Available: http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ipf.htm (Accessed July 22, 2007).
- "Cardiomyopathy." From the American Heart Association's website. Available: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4468 (Accessed July 22, 2007).