Elleana J Majdinasab1, Yana Puckett2, Kevin Y Pei3. 1. School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA. 2. Department of Surgery, West Virgina University School of Medicine, 3200 MacCorkle Ave SE,, Charleston, WV, 25304, USA. puckettyana@gmail.com. 3. Department of Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer patients in the USA are still being treated with aggressive, life-prolonging interventions. Palliative care services remain vastly underutilized despite surges in both quality and quantity of programs. We evaluated surgical outcomes of metastatic cancer patients to question whether palliative care may be a better option. STUDY DESIGN: We queried the 2014 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (NSQIP) for patients with a diagnosis of malignancy (ICD 9 Codes 145.00 to 200.00). Cases were divided into metastatic and non-metastatic cancer. Demographic data including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, as well as complications and comorbidities were compared between these two groups. Independent t testing was used to compare continuous variables. Chi-square testing was used to compare categorical variables. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess for predictors of mortality in metastatic cancer. RESULTS: A total of 80,275 cancer patients were analyzed, 11.8% (9423) of whom had metastatic disease. In-hospital mortality rate was found to be 4 times higher among patients with metastatic cancer (2.1% vs. 0.5%; P = < 0.0001). Of those metastatic cancer patients that died while in hospital, 18.5% had an emergency surgery performed. After adjusting for confounders, dyspnea at rest/moderate exertion (OR 5.7/2.4; 95% CI 2.7/1.6 to 11.9/3.7; P < 0.0001) was found to be the most significant predictor of in hospital mortality in stage IV cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Aggressive treatment in advanced cancer patients contributes to alarmingly high in-hospital mortality. Improved, deliberate communication of palliative care options with patients is exceedingly conducive to enhancing end-of-life cancer care.
BACKGROUND:Cancerpatients in the USA are still being treated with aggressive, life-prolonging interventions. Palliative care services remain vastly underutilized despite surges in both quality and quantity of programs. We evaluated surgical outcomes of metastatic cancerpatients to question whether palliative care may be a better option. STUDY DESIGN: We queried the 2014 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (NSQIP) for patients with a diagnosis of malignancy (ICD 9 Codes 145.00 to 200.00). Cases were divided into metastatic and non-metastatic cancer. Demographic data including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, as well as complications and comorbidities were compared between these two groups. Independent t testing was used to compare continuous variables. Chi-square testing was used to compare categorical variables. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess for predictors of mortality in metastatic cancer. RESULTS: A total of 80,275 cancerpatients were analyzed, 11.8% (9423) of whom had metastatic disease. In-hospital mortality rate was found to be 4 times higher among patients with metastatic cancer (2.1% vs. 0.5%; P = < 0.0001). Of those metastatic cancerpatients that died while in hospital, 18.5% had an emergency surgery performed. After adjusting for confounders, dyspnea at rest/moderate exertion (OR 5.7/2.4; 95% CI 2.7/1.6 to 11.9/3.7; P < 0.0001) was found to be the most significant predictor of in hospital mortality in stage IV cancerpatients. CONCLUSION: Aggressive treatment in advanced cancerpatients contributes to alarmingly high in-hospital mortality. Improved, deliberate communication of palliative care options with patients is exceedingly conducive to enhancing end-of-life cancer care.
Entities:
Keywords:
End of life care; Hospice; In hospital mortality; Metastatic cancer; Palliative care; Surgical outcomes
Authors: Viviane B L Torres; Luciano C P Azevedo; Ulysses V A Silva; Pedro Caruso; André P Torelly; Eliezer Silva; Frederico B Carvalho; Arthur Vianna; Paulo C P Souza; Michele M G Godoy; José R A Azevedo; Nelson Spector; Fernando A Bozza; Jorge I F Salluh; Marcio Soares Journal: Ann Am Thorac Soc Date: 2015-08