Table 1S [Section 1.0] PICO Questions
Informal
Questions
PICO Question
Population
Intervention (s)
Comparator
Outcome
PICO 1: Pain
Management and
Symptom Relief
Patients with lung
cancer
none
symptom relief (pain
relief/control, improved quality
of life)
PICO 2: Dyspnea
and Symptom
Relief
Patients with lung
cancer and dyspnea
/ shortness of
breath
Pain management
(NSAIDs, narcotics/opioids, analgesics,
acupuncture, marijuana/cannabinoids,
corticosteroids, ketamine, transcutaneous
nerve stimulation
Control of Dyspnea (oxygen, inhalers;
bronchodilators; inhaled corticosteroids,
narcotics/opiates, oral corticosteroids,
anxiolytics, antidepressants, airway
management of obstruction, marijuana,
position, relation technique, psychosocial
support, coping strategies, hypnosis, fans)
none
symptom relief (control of
shortness of breath, control of
dyspnea and quality of life)
PICO 3: Airway
Obstruction and
Symptom Relief
Patients with lung
cancer with:
shortness of
breath/dyspnea,
hemoptysis,
endobronchial
tumor, airway
obstruction
Patients with lung
cancer
Opening airway (laser, electrocautery, argon
plasma coagulation, cryotherapy,
microdebriedment, photodynamic therapy,
rigid bronchoscopy, balloon dilatation,
therapeutic bronchoscopy, intubation,
mechanical debulking/debridement,
brachytherapy, surgery)
none
symptom relief (quality of life
and shortness of breath)
Cough Suppression / Control (cough
suppressants, bronchodilators,
narcotic/opiates, corticosteroids, lidocaine,
chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
endobronchial management; laser, argon
plasma coagulation, electrocautery, stenting,
photodynamic therapy; surgery)
none
symptom relief (pain
relief/control of cough,
improved quality of life)
PICO 4: Cough
Suppression and
Symptom Relief
management of brain metastasis (surgical
resection, corticosteroids, radiation therapy-whole brain, stereotactic
radiosurgery/radiotherapy, chemotherapy,
proton beam therapy)
patients with lung
management of symptoms/pain
PICO 6: Bone
cancer with: bone
(bisphosphonates, radiopharmaceuticals,
Metastasis and
Symptom Control metastasis and bone radiation therapy, surgery, surgical fixation,
pain
intramedullary nailing)
patients with lung
control of symptoms (corticosteroids,
PICO 7: Spinal
radiation therapy, surgery)
Cord Compression cancer and spinal
cord compression /
and Symptom
metastasis
Relief
management of SVC (systemic
PICO 8: Superior patients with lung
cancer with SVC
corticosteroids, radiation therapy,
Vena Cava
syndrome
chemotherapy, stenting/vascular stent, balloon
Syndrome and
angioplasty)
Symptom Relief
patients with lung
control bleeding (narcotics, intubation,
PICO 9:
cancer and
embolization, therapeutic bronchoscopy, rigid
Hemoptysis and
bronchoscopy, lung resection)
Symptom Control hemoptysis,
massive
hemoptysis and
coughing up blood
patients with lung
close fistula (surgery, airway stent,
PICO 10:
esophageal stent, fibrin glue, cyanoacrylate
Tracheoesophagea cancer with:
tracheoesophageal
glue)
l Fistula and
Symptom Control fistula and
bronchoesophageal
of Airway
fistula
Contamination
PICO 5: Brain
Metastasis and
Symptom Control
Lung cancer
patients with brain
metastasis
none
symptom control (quality of
life, relief--headache, dizziness,
confusion, delirium, morbidity)
none
symptom control (pain relief,
stabilization of fractures,
quality of life)
none
symptom relief (pain relief,
neurologic symptoms,
paralysis, quality of life)
none
symptom relief
none
symptom control (mortality,
coughing up blood, control of
hemoptysis)
none
symptom control of airway
contamination (respiratory
failure, eating, cough, shortness
of breath, respiratory
contamination, aspiration,
pneumonia
PICO 11:
Malignant Pleural
Effusions and
Symptom Relief
Patient with lung
cancer and
malignant pleural
effusion
PICO 12: Venous
Thromboembolic
Disease and
Symptom
Management
PICO
13:Depression,
Fatigue, Insomnia
Management
LC patients and:
VTE, DVT and PE
PICO 14:
Anorexia and
Weight Loss
Management
LC patients and:
depression, fatigue,
anxiety, anorexia,
cognitive
dysfunction,
delirium, insomnia
Lung cancer
patients and
anorexia, weight
loss, cachexia,
muscle wasting,
asthenia
Management of malignant pleural effusions
(systemic therapy, chest tube drainage,
therapeutic thoracentesis, pleurodesis, talc
pleurodesis, video assisted thoracoscopic
surgery, surgical pleurodesis, indwelling
catheter, Pleurx catheter, intrapleural
fibrinolysis, pigtail catheter, pleuroperitoneal
shunting
management of symptoms (anticoagulation,
heparin, LMWH, warfarin/Coumadin,
enoxaparin/Lovenox, dalteparin/Fragmin,
tinzaparin/Innohep, inferior vena cava filter)
none
symptom relief (quality of life,
survival, dyspnea)
none
symptom relief (symptom
control, quality of life,
mortality)
management of symptoms (pharmacologic
therapy--anxiolytics, antidepressants,
meditation, relaxation technique, psychosocial
support, coping mechanisms, hypnosis,
nutritional support)
none
symptom management
Management of symptoms (nutritional
support, appetite stimulants, nutritional
assessment
none
symptom management
LMWH, low molecular weight heparin; PE, pulmonary embolism; SVC, Superior vena cava; VTE, venous thromboembolism;