• Ozgur Tanriverdi, Halil Beydilli, Birdal Yildirim, and Ulku Karagoz.
• Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mugla, Turkey E-mail : dr.ozgur.tanriverdi@gmail.com, ozgur.tanriverdi@yahoo.com.
• Asian Pac. J. Cancer Prev. 2014 Jan 1; 15 (2): 687-90.

BackgroundEmergency departments are visited by cancer patients for palliation of cancer-related symptoms, management of treatment-related side effects, oncologic emergencies, co-morbidities, and/or end of life care. In this study, we aimed to identify the characteristics of cancer patients admitted to an emergency medicine department in Southwest Turkey.Materials And MethodsIn this retrospective descriptive study, a total of 304 emergency department admissions of 102 patients with cancer due to medical conditions were evaluated. Descriptive statistical methods, statistical analysis for correlation, Student's t-test, chi-square tests and logistic regression test were used.ResultsThe majority of patients visiting to emergency departments were male (n=66, 65%) and over 65 years of age (53, 52%). Some 30% (n=31) had a lung cancer diagnosis, 32% (n=33) presentation with dyspnea, 53% (n=55) with metastasis, 30% (n=16) with multiple metastatic lesions in lung, and 68% (n=70) had a poor ECOG performance status (score 3 to 4).ConclusionsEmergency departments have valuable roles in managing and caring for patients with malignancies.

21 keywords...

hide…