A 69-yrs-old man with a 60 pack-year history for smoking presents with dizziness and visual disturbances. Physical examination reveals a purplish discoloration of his face, arms, and neck; retinal vein engorgement; and visible distention of his neck veins. His complete blood count reveals a normocytic anemia. The pathophysiology of this patient's clinical presentation most likely involves
A
Right hea failure secondary to left hea failure
B
Obstruction of the superior vena cava by a primary tumor arising in the lungs
C
Metastatic disease to the cervical lymph nodes with compression of the jugular veins