Prognostic factors in oncological patients with solid tumours requiring intensive care unit admission

The aim of the present study was to identify factors predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with cancer admitted to a medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and to evaluate their functional status and survival during follow-up at the oncology service in the initial 12 months after hospital discharge. A retrospective observational study was performed on 129 consecutive oncological patients with solid tumours admitted to the medical ICU of the Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Spain) between January 2016 and June 2018. Demographics, and clinical data in-ICU and in-hospital mortality were recorded. Post-hospital discharge follow-up was also carried out. ICU and hospital mortality rates were 24% (n=31) and 40.3% (n=52), respectively. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01-1.42; P=0.037), neutropenia on admission (HR, 8.53; 95% CI, 2.15-33.82; P=0.002), metastatic disease (HR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.82-8.45; P<0.001), need for invasive mechanical ventilation (HR, 5.78; 95% CI, 1.61-20.73; P=0.007), surgery during hospital admission (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.09-0.61; P=0.003) and ICU stay (>48 h) (HR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.29; P<0.001) were the independent risk factors for ICU mortality. Overall, 59.5% of the survivors had good functional status at hospital discharge and 28.7% of patients with cancer admitted to the ICU were alive 1 year after hospital discharge, most of them (85.7%) with good functional status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0-1). In conclusion, hospital mortality may be associated with SOFA score at ICU admission, the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, neutropenia and metastatic disease. Only 40% of patients with oncological disease admitted to the ICU died during their hospital stay, and >50% of the survivors presented good functional status at hospital discharge. Notably, 1 year after hospital discharge, 28.7% of patients were alive, most of them with a good functional status.