This week's artwork was donated by Lonny, a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . Symptoms that may indicate this syndrome include difficulty breathing, coughing, and swelling of the face, neck, upper body, and arms. In rare occasions, patients may complain of hoarseness, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, and coughing up blood. Physical signs of SVCS include swelling of neck or chest veins, collection of fluid in the face or arms, and rapid breathing. SVCS is usually a sign of locally advanced lung cancer.
Survival depends on the status of the patient's disease.
Most non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with SVCS respond to appropriate chemotherapy or to combined types of treatment. Another cause in cancer patients is a blood clot associated with intravenous catheters or pacemaker wires. The superior vena cava returns blood from the upper body to the heart, and the inferior vena cava returns the blood from the lower part of the body. Two valves in the right atrium connect these two major veins and control the flow of the blood into the heart. The superior vena cava is thin-walled, and the blood is under low pressure.