Cardiopulmonary Syndrome Overview

Cardiopulmonary syndromes are conditions of the heart and lung that may be caused by cancer or by other health problems. Four cardiopulmonary syndromes that may be caused by cancer are covered in this summary:

• Dyspnea (shortness of breath).
• Malignant pleural effusion (extra fluid around the lungs).
• Malignant pericardial effusion (extra fluid in the sac around the heart).
• Superior vena cava syndrome (a blocked superior vena cava, the large vein that takes blood back to the heart).

This summary is about cardiopulmonary syndromes in adults and children with cancer. Section titles show when the information is about children.