Reduced Survival Outcome After Receiving a New Cancer Diagnosis in the Emergency Department: Findings from a Hospital Network in Rural Eastern North Carolina

PURPOSE

Patients whose cancer was found during an Emergency Department (ED) visit often present at later stages when survival outcomes are worse. Limited research has characterized the survival experience of cancer patients who receive their diagnosis through the ED versus those who do not.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study identified all patients presenting to the ED between 2014 and 2015 in a rural, regional hospital system with a visit or resulting admission associated with an oncologic ICD-9 code. The chart was abstracted to determine a new cancer diagnosis versus an existing case. Cox proportional hazards (HR) estimated survival time. Patient and cancer characteristics were compared between those who were newly diagnosed through the ED and patients who were not.

FINDINGS

Thirty-nine percent of patients in our sample received their new cancer diagnosis as a result of an ED visit. The median survival was lower in cancer cases diagnosed through the ED (13 vs. 39 months, P < .001), men (20 vs. 32 months, P < .001), and patients aged ≥ 65 (22 months vs. 32 months, P < .001). Factors associated with lower survival were having a type of cancer location other than breast (HR = 1.96; P < .001), followed by being newly diagnosed with cancer through the ED (HR = 1.71; P < .001), and stage IV at diagnosis (HR = 1.70; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who received a new cancer diagnosis through the ED and required subsequent hospitalization had shorter overall survival and presented with advanced disease. Future research should address socioeconomic factors that may influence these patterns of cancer presentation.

Lower survival outcomes in patients receiving an initial cancer diagnosis after presenting to the emergency department

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Background: Survival outcomes in cancer are better in patients who are diagnosed at an early stage, which can potentially be detected through screening and routine visits to a primary care physician. Patients who receive their initial cancer diagnoses following a visit to the Emergency Department (ED) may present at a later Stage when survival outcomes are worse. The characteristics of patients who receive their diagnosis following an ED visit versus those who do not are not well reported in the literature. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted in which a cohort was identified of all patients who presented to the ED in a hospital system in eastern North Carolina from 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2015 with a visit associated with an oncologic ICD-9 code. The chart was reviewed to determine if the initial results that directly led to the cancer diagnosis were obtained through the ED visit. Patient characteristics, cancer characteristics, and survival outcomes were collected. Factors significant on univariate analysis were included in a multivariate analysis. Chi-square tests, Kaplan-Meier log rank tests, and Cox regression analysis were used. Results: Initial diagnosis through the ED was recorded in 38.5% of patients (n = 400/1039). Median overall survival following diagnosis was lower in individuals diagnosed through the ED (13 vs. 41 months, p < 0.001), in men (21 vs. 35 months, p < 0.001), and in patients with a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) of ≥9 (18 vs. 37 months, p < 0.001) on univariate analysis. Patients diagnosed through the ED were more likely to be Stage IV (p < 0.001). There was no association on multivariate analysis between the rate of diagnosis through the ED or overall survival with insurance status or race; however, it was difficult to determine the insurance status of a patient at the time of the initial ED visit, possibly due to retroactive coverage and other issues. Conclusions: Patients who received a cancer diagnosis through the ED have significantly shorter overall survival times from diagnosis. This remained significant when controlling for CCI, gender, age, and Stage. Further investigation into the public health factors that may contribute to patients receiving their cancer diagnosis in the ED is needed. A prospective study may be needed to record the insurance status at the initial ED visit.