Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation among Cancer Patients: Utilization Trends and In-Hospital Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation is a common procedure.
• Limited data exists on AF ablation outcomes in cancer patients.
• This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding AF ablation in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the utilization trends of AF catheter ablation in cancer patients.
• To compare in-hospital outcomes of AF catheter ablation between cancer patients and those without cancer.
• To identify specific complication rates associated with AF ablation in cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2012-2019.
• Inclusion of patients undergoing AF catheter ablation.
• Comparison of baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes between cancer and non-cancer patient groups.

Main Results:

• AF catheter ablation was performed in 67,915 patients, with 1.4% having a cancer diagnosis.
• Cancer patients were older with higher comorbidity scores.
• Higher rates of total complications (10.5% vs. 7.9%), primarily bleeding and infections, were observed in cancer patients.

Conclusions:

• AF catheter ablation in cancer patients is linked to increased bleeding and infectious complications.
• Cardiac complications and in-hospital mortality rates were not significantly different between groups.
• These findings suggest AF ablation is feasible in cancer patients with careful monitoring for specific complications.