Narrative review of the progress in the treatment of hemoptysis among patients with advanced lung cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Hemoptysis is a common clinical manifestation in patients with lung cancer, and severe hemoptysis can be life-threatening. Advanced lung cancer is associated with massive hemoptysis and involves a poor prognosis, but there is currently a lack of relevant diagnostic and treatment standards for this disease. This review examines the application of hemoptysis-related treatment measures in patients with advanced lung cancer, providing a reference for the selection of appropriate treatment strategies in clinical practice.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted of the PubMed and Web of Science databases for studies published from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2024. The search keywords included "lung cancer", "cancer of the lung", "hemoptysis", "bronchial artery embolization", and "bronchial arterial chemoembolization". Only studies on the treatment of hemoptysis in patients with advanced lung cancer that were published in peer-reviewed journals and in the English language were included.

KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS

Mild hemoptysis can be treated conservatively. For life-threatening hemoptysis, airway safety and hemodynamic stability should be first maintained. Depending on the condition, bronchial artery embolization, bronchial arterial chemoembolization, and other treatments can be used. When medication or endovascular treatment is ineffective and the condition stable, palliative resection surgery can be performed. To reduce the recurrence of hemoptysis, active etiological treatment should be carried out after hemostasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravascular embolization has been proven to be an effective method for treating various types of hemoptysis, with high safety and efficacy. Accurately identifying and evaluating the degree of hemoptysis in patients with advanced lung cancer and developing personalized treatment plans are crucial for avoiding fatal outcomes, reducing hemoptysis recurrence, and improving prognosis.