The burden of cancer on the acute medical unit

The burden of cancer is increasing, with a significant increase in cancer-related emergencies and patients with known malignancy presenting to the acute medical unit (AMU). We performed a retrospective analysis at a university hospital in the north west of England in May 2011. We examined 300 consecutive admissions to determine the number of, and reason for, cancer patients presenting to the AMU. Patients with cancer had a statistically significantly longer average length of inpatient stay than patients without cancer (8.8 days vs 7.2 days, p<0.01). As the incidence and prevalence of cancer increases, the challenge of improving the experience, safety and outcomes of patients with cancer becomes more important. Development of successful acute oncology services with close working with acute physicians will be essential in order to achieve this.