← Back to dossier
Patient handout

Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for tumor lysis syndrome (tls). Your care team identified this based on: lab tls: >=2 of uric acid >=8, k >=6, po4 >=4.5, ca <=7 (or 25% change from baseline) within 3 days before or 7 days after cytotoxic therapy — cairo-bishop jco 2004.

Other reasons your team may use this plan: clinical tls: lab tls + renal failure (cr >=1.5x uln), cardiac arrhythmia, seizure, or sudden death — cairo-bishop jco 2004; high-risk malignancy (burkitt, all with wbc >100k, dlbcl with bulky disease) before initiating cytotoxic therapy — coiffier jco 2008; nccn 2024.

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
IV_hydrationNS or LR at 150-200 mL/h (2-2.5 L/m2/day)IVcontinuousCoiffier JCO 2008 — maintain UOP >=2 mL/kg/h; dilute uric acid and phosphate

Plan: TLS prevention: allopurinol + IVF (intermediate risk) vs rasburicase + IVF (high risk) — Coiffier JCO 2008; NCCN 2024

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • K >=6 mEq/L with ECG changes (peaked T waves, widened QRS, sine wave) in TLS — Cairo-Bishop JCO 2004; Coiffier JCO 2008(life-threatening)
  • Clinical TLS with AKI (Cr >=1.5x ULN) — Cairo-Bishop JCO 2004; Coiffier JCO 2008
  • Cardiac arrhythmia attributable to TLS electrolyte derangements — Cairo-Bishop JCO 2004(life-threatening)
  • Seizure from symptomatic hypocalcemia (corrected Ca <=7 mg/dL with neuromuscular irritability) in TLS — Cairo-Bishop JCO 2004; Coiffier JCO 2008(life-threatening)

5. Follow-up

Transition to daily labs once stable; resume chemotherapy when TLS resolved + electrolytes normalized + renal function recovered; document TLS episode for future cycle risk assessment; dose-adjust or change chemo regimen if recurrent TLS — Coiffier JCO 2008; NCCN 2024

6. Sources

Guideline: Cairo-Bishop TLS classification (Br J Haematol 2004); Coiffier et al TLS expert consensus (JCO 2008); Howard/Jones/Pui TLS review (NEJM 2011); NCCN Management of Tumor Lysis Syndrome

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15384972
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21561350
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18509186