Hematologic and oncologic emergencies. Doing the most good in the least time.

Broad categories of emergency hematologic and oncologic situations are metabolic crises, compressions and obstructions, and symptomatic cytopenias. In each instance, a decision to intervene should be made on the basis of findings on diagnostic assessment in combination with prognostic information. Management should be directly proportional to the possibility for cure, significant remission, or improved quality of life. Numerous diseases, including potentially curable cancer, can be modified and patients' quality of life substantially improved with appropriate emergency intervention. Fortunately, the modern therapeutic arsenal provides many specific measures to manage these challenging clinical situations.