Intensive care unit in cancer treatment and the cost-effectivity

Turan MN. Intensive Care Unit In Cancer Treatment And The Cost-Effectivity, Adnan Menderes University, Medical Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine Thesis, Aydın, 2017. Aim: Cancer patients are more frequently treated in intensive care unit (ICU) due to advances in oncology. In this study, the relationship in-between the characteristics of cancer patients in ICU and prognosis as well as the cost-effectivity. Method: The demographical and oncological characteristics, the laboratory examinations and imaging methods, and treatments as well as prognosis of 194 adult patients with solid tumors in ICU of Aydın, Adnan Menderes University in-between January and June 2017 are retrospectively researched and the cost-effectivity is analyzed. Results: The median age of the patients was 61,912,7 years, and the ratio of male gender was (63,9%) higher (p<0,001). Of the patients, 79,9% were exitus. Both age and gender showed no significant relation with prognosis. The most frequent cancer type was lung cancer (30,4%) and 80,9% of the cases' disease was stage IV (AJCC, TNM). The prognosis of patients who had received chemotherapy was worse (p=0,01). There was no relationship in-between the number of co-morbid diseases and prognosis. The most frequent symptom was dyspnea (68,7%, p<0,001) and 80,4% of the patients had received respiratory support and their prognosis was worse (p<0,001). The treatment cost of male patients was higher than the females (p=0,048). The costliest cancer was lung carcinoma, in daily basis. The cost of patients who had not received granulocyte colony stimulating factors was higher (p=0,003). The mean daily cost for the patients who were exitus was also higher (p=0,02). Conclusion: This study suggested that the relationship in-between the clinical approach to cancer patients in the ICU, prognosis and cost-effectivity should be further researched with well designed prospective studies to constitute better treatment policies in the future.