Cachexia among US cancer patients

AbstractBackground: Cancer cachexia is a debilitating condition and results in poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to assess hospitalization incidence, patient characteristics, and medical cost and burden of cancer cachexia in the US.Methods: This study used a cross-sectional analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for 2009. Five cancers reported to have the highest cachexia incidence were assessed. The hospitalization incidence related to cachexia was estimated by cancer type, cost and length of stay were compared, and descriptive statistics were reported for each cancer type, as well as differences being compared between patients with and without cachexia.Results: Risk of inpatient death was higher for patients with cachexia in lung cancer (OR = 1.32; CI = 1.20–1.46) and in all cancers combined (OR = 1.76; CI = 1.67–1.85). The presence of cachexia increased length of stay in lung (IRR = 1.05; CI = 1.03–1.08), Kaposi’s sarcoma (IRR = 1.47; CI = 1.14–1.89) and all cancers combined (IRR...