Internationale Zeitschrift für Physikalische Medizin und Rehabilitation
Offener Zugang

Abstrakt

A Case Report on the Treatment of NSCLC and the Early Integration of Palliative Care

Nora Gillen1*, Bailey Creighton1, Jeremy Kuder1, Jun Yoo2, Anil Harrison3

Currently, treatment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) depends on the cancer stage as well as the histology and genetic alterations found on pathology taking into consideration the patient’s condition. Surgery, neo-adjuvant chemoradiation therapy, and targeted immunotherapy are all considered when discussing treatment options with a patient. Cure and survival rates in patients for NSCLC are low especially with metastasis, which usually occurs in the bone and brain. In patients with brain metastasis, treatment is often discontinued and early integration of palliative care in patients with advanced NSCLC is increasingly showing to improve quality of life. In this case report, we will discuss a case of a patient presenting with intractable back pain suspected to be spinal osteomyelitis secondary to pneumonia, however, it was discovered on pathology to be a recurrence of NSCLC with metastasis to the vertebrae and brain. We discuss and comment on the subsequent treatment plan involving immunotherapy, chemotherapy/ radiation, and integration of palliative care in the treatment of NSCLC.