scholarly journals Mortality among Cancer Patients within 90 Days of Therapy in a Tertiary Hospital, Tanzania: Is Our Pretherapy Screening Effective?

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Marygoreth J. Changalucha ◽  
Martha F. Mushi ◽  
Rodrick Kabangila ◽  
Vitus Silago ◽  
Beda Likonda ◽  
...  

Background. A high mortality has been reported during the first ninety days of cancer therapy and is more pronounced in patients with febrile neutropenia. The Bugando Medical Center oncology department offers cancer diagnosis and treatment services to the population of the Lake Zone of Tanzania with limited data on the outcome within 90 days of therapy. Here, we report the 90-day mortality and factors associated with it among cancer patients attending the oncology department of the tertiary hospital in Tanzania. Methodology. Enrolled participants underwent baseline physical examinations, and their functional status was assessed using Karnofsky score. On each clinic visit, full blood picture was taken and patients were investigated for infections. Data were entered in the Microsoft Excel, cleaned and coded and then transferred to STATA version 13 for analysis. Results. A total of 102 participants were included in the final analysis. Their median age was 50 years (38-60). The majority of the study participants were females 76 (75%), and 82 (80.4%) had primary school education. The majority of the patients had solid cancer 96 (94.1%). A total of 12 (11.8%) patients died within 90 days of starting therapy. Low hemoglobin level at the start of cancer therapy, Karnofsky score below 80%, and using 5-fluorouracil-containing therapy were statistically significantly found to be associated with mortality within 90 days of therapy among cancer patients. Conclusion. One tenth of cancer patients at Bugando Medical Center do not survive within 90 days of therapy; the mortality is significantly high among anemic patients, with poor performance status, on 5-fluorouracil regimen, and diagnosed with head and neck cancer, necessitating close follow-up of these patients.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marygoreth J Changalucha ◽  
MARTHA F. Mushi ◽  
Rodrick Kabangila ◽  
Vitus Silago ◽  
Beda Likonda ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A high mortality has been reported during the first ninety days of cancer therapy and is more pronounced in patients with febrile neutropenia. Bugando Medical Center, oncology department offers cancer diagnosis and treatment services to the population of lake-zone of Tanzania with limited data on the 90 days outcome. Here, we report the 90 days mortality and factors associated with it among cancer patients attending oncology department of the tertiary hospital in Tanzania. Methodology Enrolled participants underwent baseline physical examinations and functional status assessment using Karnofsky score. On each clinic visit, FBP was taken and patients were investigated for infections. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using STATA version 13. Results A total of 102 participants were enrolled. Their median age was 50 years [38-60]. The majority of study participants were females 76(75%) and 82(80.4%) had primary school education. The majority of patients had solid cancer 96(94.1%). A total of 12 (11.8%) patients died within 90 days of starting therapy. Having low hemoglobin level before starting cancer therapy (p=0.001), having Karnofsky score below 80% (p=0.001) and using 5-fluorouracil containing therapy (p=0.004) were found to be associated with mortality within 90 days of therapy among cancer patients. Conclusion About 10% of cancer patients die within 90 days of therapy. Anemic patients, with poor performance status and on 5-Fluorouracil regimen are more likely to die within 90 days of cancer therapy.


Author(s):  
Ryo Matsunuma ◽  
Takashi Yamaguchi ◽  
Masanori Mori ◽  
Tomoo Ikari ◽  
Kozue Suzuki ◽  
...  

Background: Predictive factors for the development of dyspnea have not been reported among terminally ill cancer patients. Objective: This current study aimed to identify the predictive factors attributed to the development of dyspnea within 7 days after admission among patients with cancer. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study on the dying process among patients admitted in inpatient hospices/palliative care units. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who developed dyspnea (development group) and those who did not (non-development group). To determine independent predictive factors, univariate and multivariate analyses using the logistic regression model were performed. Results: From January 2017 to December 2017, 1159 patients were included in this analysis. Univariate analysis showed that male participants, those with primary lung cancer, ascites, and Karnofsky Performance Status score (KPS) of ≤40, smokers, and benzodiazepine users were significantly higher in the development group. Multivariate analysis revealed that primary lung cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 2.80, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.47-5.31; p = 0.002), KPS score (≤40) (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.02-3.31; p = 0.044), and presence of ascites (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.36-4.02; p = 0.002) were independent predictive factors for the development of dyspnea. Conclusions: Lung cancer, poor performance status, and ascites may be predictive factors for the development of dyspnea among terminally ill cancer patients. However, further studies should be performed to validate these findings.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Aust ◽  
Richard Schwameis ◽  
Tamara Gagic ◽  
Leonhard Müllauer ◽  
Eva Langthaler ◽  
...  

Background: Treating cancer according to its molecular alterations (i.e., targeted treatment, TT) is the goal of precision medicine tumor boards (PTBs). Their clinical applicability has been evaluated for ovarian cancer patients in this analysis. Methods: All consecutive ovarian cancer patients discussed in a PTB at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, from April 2015 to April 2019 were included (n = 44). Results: In 38/44 (86%) cases, at least one mutation, deletion or amplification was detected. The most frequently altered genes were p53 (64%), PI3K pathway (18%), KRAS (14%), BRCA1 (11%) and BRCA2 (2%). In 31 patients (70%) a TT was recommended. A total of 12/31 patients (39%) received the recommended therapy. Median time from indication for PTB to TT start was 65 days (15–216). Median time to treatment failure was 2.7 months (0.2–13.2). Clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 42%. Reasons for treatment discontinuation were disease progression (42%), poor performance status (PS > 2; 25%), death (17%) or treatment related side effects (8%). In 61% the TT was not administered—mainly due to PS > 2. Conclusion: Even though a TT recommendation can be derived frequently, clinical applicability remains limited due to poor patients’ general condition after exploitation of standard treatment. However, we observed antitumor activity in a substantial number of heavily pretreated patients.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Porter ◽  
Craig Earle ◽  
Clare Atzema ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Doris Howell ◽  
...  

1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1349-1357 ◽  
Author(s):  
N L Bartlett ◽  
M Rizeq ◽  
R F Dorfman ◽  
J Halpern ◽  
S J Horning

PURPOSE To evaluate the benefit of anthracycline-based chemotherapy, identify prognostic factors, and determine the value of the International Prognostic Factors Index for patients with follicular large-cell (FLC) lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective study includes 96 patients with FLC lymphoma treated at Stanford University Medical Center between 1969 and 1991. Fifty-five patients received doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide-containing chemotherapy regimens, 21 patients received other chemotherapy regimens, 15 patients received radiotherapy only, and five patients received no initial therapy. Thirty-four patients had stage I or II disease and 62 patients had stage III or IV disease. RESULTS With a median follow-up duration of 5.2 years (range, 1 to 18), the actuarial 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 75% and 54%, with actuarial 5- and 10-year freedom from progression (FFP) rates of 53% and 42%, respectively. Patients treated with chemotherapy regimens that contained both doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide had a superior actuarial 10-year FFP rate (55% v 25%, P = .06) and overall survival rate (65% v 42%, P = .04) compared with patients treated with other chemotherapy regimens. Only one patient treated with doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide relapsed after 3 years. In the multivariate analysis, discordant lymphoma and treatment with chemotherapy regimens not containing both cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin predicted for worse FFP and overall survival rates. In addition, poor performance status and increasing areas of diffuse histology predicted for a worse survival, while anemia and male sex predicted for a worse FFP. The age-specific International Index was useful in predicting outcome; however, few patients with FLC lymphoma had high-risk features. CONCLUSION The plateau in FFP implies that patients with FLC lymphoma enjoy sustained remissions after standard anthracycline-based chemotherapy. FLC lymphoma should continue to be approached as an intermediate-grade lymphoma with curative intent.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 19629-19629
Author(s):  
K. Shitara ◽  
M. Munakata ◽  
O. Muto ◽  
M. Kasai ◽  
Y. Sakata

19629 Background: The prognosis of advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients, especially those with poor PS, is generally dismal. Needless to say, such patients are ineligible for participation in clinical studies. However, there are many patients with poor PS who wish to receive chemotherapy. Methods: From June 2000 to October 2006, a total of 508 patients with advanced cancer, including 304 gastrointestinal cancer patients, were treated by chemotherapy in our hospital. Of these, 110 gastrointestinal cancer patients (gastric=35, colorectal=30, pancreatic=26, biliary tract=11, esophageal=8) had poor PS (ECOG PS 3 = 68 patients, PS 4 = 42 patients). In 103 patients with at least one measurable lesion, a partial response according to RECIST criteria was obtained in 13 patients (12.6%). In 60 patients with ascites (47 patients), pleural effusion (25 patients), or both (12 patients), 11 of the patients (18.3%) achieved decreased fluid accumulation. A decline in tumor markers (>25%) was observed in 28 patients. Improvement in PS was seen in 13 patients (11.8%). As a result, 35 patients (31.8 %, including 9 patients with PS 4) achieved a tumor response, a decrease in accumulated fluid, or a decline in tumor markers, which resulted in a survival benefit compared to the other 75 patients without effect (6.4 months vs. 2.3 months, p<0.001). Alleviation of some symptoms was observed in 28 out of 98 symptomatic patients (30.4%). A better response and/or a decline in tumor markers significantly correlated with alleviation of symptoms (p<0.001). No treatment related death was seen. Conclusions: With regard to response rate, chemotherapy was rarely effective for patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer with poor PS. However, more than a few patients gained a certain survival benefit and alleviation of symptoms. Thus, chemotherapy may be warranted in cases of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer who wish to receive chemotherapy despite the low possibility of response. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9628-9628 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Nair ◽  
M. Shirodkar ◽  
M. Mallath ◽  
A. D’Cruz ◽  
P. Shukla ◽  
...  

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