Pathophysiology, Investigations, and Management in Cases of Pancoast Tumor

Background: Superior sulcus tumors (SSTs), also known as Pancoast tumors, are a clinically distinctive and difficult subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although the prognosis of SST patients has generally been bad, current discoveries have contributed to a dramatic improvement in their prognosis. Pancoast-Tobias syndrome is a clinical condition characterized by severe and unremitting shoulder and arm pain along with the distribution of the eighth cervical and first and second thoracic nerve trunks, Horner's syndrome (ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis), and atrophy of the intrinsic hand muscles. Other lesions, besides NSCLC, can cause Pancoast syndrome, albeit this is less common. The main aspects of the condition will be presented in this review, with a focus on the preoperative assessment. Conclusion: The majority of people with Pancoast cancer have a bad prognosis. At five years, just about a third of the children are still living. Radiation therapy has not been shown to improve locoregional recurrence or long-term survival. The quality of life for people who have surgery is quite low, and the pain from the surgery can be crippling.