Challenging decision-making at the end of life in an SCLC patient with severe paraneoplasia and immune CPI-toxicity: A case report

Abstract

Background In advanced tumour disease, the situation of patients may worsen due to paraneoplastic syndromes and the side effects of new therapies. In small cell lung cancer, immunotherapy has shown an improvement in outcomes for the first time in decades. Still, the prognosis remains dismal, challenging supportive care for new treatment side effects and the shared decision-making process at the end of life. Case presentation we present a patient with advanced small cell lung cancer. His situation is complicated by ectopic ACTH production with severe hypokalaemia and immune-related myocarditis after treatment with atezolizumab, leading to changing ECG findings and bradycardia. Conclusions At the end of life, priorities can shift, so medical treatments must be critically questioned regarding their benefit for the patient. New oncological treatment options may hazard the timely integration of palliative care and thus, lead to more extended hospital stays and more aggressive care. The challenging shared decision-making is time-consuming crucial in achieving goal-concordant care.