Outcomes of elderly patients with stage IIIB-IV non-small cell lung cancer admitted to the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Although the prognosis of elderly patients with stage IIIB and IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poor, it remains a common cause of cancer related admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU). The objective was to evaluate short and long-term outcomes of a population-based sample of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC who require ICU care.

METHODS: Using combined data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry and Medicare files, we identified 1134 patients >65 years of age with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC admitted to an ICU with a diagnosis of respiratory, cardiac, or neurologic complications, renal failure, or sepsis. We assessed rates and predictors of death during hospitalization. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate mortality rates at 90 days and 1 year post hospital discharge.

RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 33% (95% CI: 30-36%). The 90-day and 1-year mortality rate was 71% and 90%, respectively. Patients with an admitting diagnosis of sepsis had the highest rate of in-hospital mortality (59%). Of those who were alive at discharge, 52% were transferred to a skilled nursing facility, 6% to hospice, and 42% returned home.

CONCLUSION: We found that one-third of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC admitted to the ICU do not survive hospitalization. Among survivors, most patients required continued institutionalization with a very low likelihood of surviving >1 year from discharge. This data should help patients, families, and health care providers of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC make decisions regarding ICU utilization.