Benefits of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in cancer patients.

PURPOSE: According to meta-analytic data, the prognosis of a cancer patient post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is relatively similar to the general population. However, preselection of patients, the details of CPR, patient-specific characteristics, and post-CPR care are poorly described. The aim of this study is to identify prognostic factors in order to recognize cancer patient profiles more likely to benefit from CPR.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study on a series of patients with solid or hematological malignancies who received CPR between January 2010 and December 2020 in a cancer institute.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight patients were included. The ratio of solid to hematological malignancy was 44/24, of which 32 were metastatic solid tumors. Median age was 61 years. Hypoxemia (29%) was the primary factor for cardiac arrest, followed by septic shock (21%). ICU mortality and hospital mortality were 87% and 88% respectively. Younger age, the presence of hematological malignancy, or a metastatic solid tumor were poor predictors for in-hospital mortality. Similarly, cardiac arrest in the ICU, as the final consequence of a pathological process, and a resuscitation time of more than 10 min have a negative influence on prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that CPR is a useful intervention in cancer patients, even in the elderly patient, especially in non-metastatic solid tumors where cardiac arrest is the consequence of an acute event and not a terminal process.