title: Management of cough in advanced cancer.
abstract: Cough is a common symptom in cancer, with causes that can be benign or malignant. When severe, it affects patients' quality of life and well being. Treatment begins with a detailed history and careful physical examination, followed by chest imaging. Managing cough is directed at correcting the reversible causes. Empiric treatment of cough is valuable in both reversible and irreversible causes. We prefer hydrocodone as first-line empiric treatment, but when the cough is resistant to this, our second-line therapy would be the addition or substitution of benzonatate. Bronchodilators, as well as corticosteroids, are commonly employed in our practice and can be useful in unsuspected bronchospasm.
authors.affiliation: Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Bassam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Estfan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: LeGrand
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002082:Butylamines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006853:Hydrocodone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000996:Antitussive Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D002082:Butylamines; C029755:benzonatate; D006853:Hydrocodone