Management patterns and predictors of mortality among US patients with cancer hospitalized for malignant bowel obstruction

Malignant bowel obstruction affects an estimated 3% to 15% of patients with cancer, with a mean survival of <4 weeks reported in patients with inoperable malignant bowel obstruction. In the current study, the authors assessed predictors of survival and the influence of treatment modality in US patients with cancer who were hospitalized for malignant bowel obstruction.

All the US cancer patients hospitalized with malignant bowel obstruction in 2006 and 2010 were included. Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Malignant bowel obstruction diagnoses and treatment variables were identified using Clinical Classifications Software codes based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with a logistic model, weighted chi-square test, and a generalized linear model.

The authors identified 942,014 and 1,103,528 hospitalizations for malignant bowel obstruction in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Medical management, upper gastrointestinal obstruction, health insurance coverage, and obesity were found to be significantly associated with better hospital survival. Multivariate analysis also demonstrated significantly increased odds of death with male sex, advanced age, AJCC stage IV disease, multiple comorbid conditions (except acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), and weight loss. There were no significant differences with stratification based on the location and etiology of the obstruction (primary tumor vs metastatic).

Malignant bowel obstruction is a common cause of death in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer in the United States. The odds of death are especially high in older patients and those with concurrent medical illnesses. Lack of insurance coverage, significant weight loss, and surgical management also appear to be associated with higher mortality in this population.