[Hospitalization facilities required for quality care of lung cancer patients].
The purpose of this study was to determine whether good-quality care for patients with lung cancer can be delivered without a full hospitalization unit. Our study included all consecutive untreated lung cancer patients admitted over a two-year period. The following criteria were analyzed retrospectively: residence, age, sex, histology, staging, treatments, administrative data during the first 6 months of treatment, place of death, and duration of last stay before death in the unit. Two hundred six patients were recorded. Twenty-eight percent of the patients had stage IIIB disease and 61% stage IV disease. The first treatment included: surgery (12%), chemotherapy (80%). During the first six months, the median number of hospitalizations was 8 and the median number of full hospitalization days was 17 compared with 6 days for one-day stays. The median duration of the first stay was 5 days whereas the duration of the last one was 3 days. During the first year, 71% of the patients dies: 36% in our unit (47% of them were inpatients for more than 6 days during their last stay). Diagnosis, initial treatment, management of treatment complications and supportive care are not compatible with weekly hospitalization. Full hospitalization is mandatory for good-quality care in a referral cancer unit.
Ferri-Dessens
R M
RM
Département des Maladies Respiratoires, Service d'Oncologie Respiratoire, Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite, F 13009 Marseille.
Thomas
P
P
Barlesi
F
F
Raholimina
V
V
Kleisbauer
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005602:France; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000639:trends; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000639:trends*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000639:trends; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies