Urgency
In the past, SVC syndrome was considered a medical emergency and radiation therapy was urgently instituted. This approach has been favored because 80% of SVC syndromes were attributable to malignancy. The major drawback to this approach is the hazard of radiating a benign process. In Schraufnagel's review of 107 cases, he finds no support for the contention that SVC obstruction in itself represents a radiotherapeutic emergency.
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