Hospitalization facilities required for quality care of lung cancer patients

The purpose of this study was to determine whether good-quality care for pa tients with lung cancer can be delivered without a full hospitalization uni t. Our study included all consecutive untreated lung cancer patients admitted over a two-year period. The following criteria were analyzed retrospectivel y: residence, age, sex, histology, singing, treatments, administrative data during the first 6 months of treatment, place of death, and duration of la st stay before death in the unit. Two hundred six patients were recorded. Twenty-eight percent of the patient s had stage IIIB disease and 61% stage IV disease. The first treatment incl uded: surgery (12%), chemotherapy (80%). During the first six months, the m edian number of hospitalizations was 8 and the median number of full hospit alization days was 17 compared with 6 days for one-day stays. The median du ration of the first stay was 5 days whereas the duration of the last one wa s 3 days. During the first year 71% of the patients dies: 36% in our unit ( 47% of them weve inpatients for more than 6 days during their last stay). Diagnosis, initial treatment, management of treatment complications and sup portive care are not compatible with weekly hospitalization. Full hospitali zation is mandatory for good-quality care in a referral cancer unit.