Multidisciplinary management of cancer patients: hospitalisation and consultation characteristics

Aim: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. Cancer patients have long-term hospitalisations for a wide variety of reasons. This study aims to emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in cancer treatment by evaluating the hospitalisation and consultation characteristics of patients hospitalised in the Medical Oncology Service of Etlik City Hospital. Material and Methods: The demographic, clinical, biochemical, hospitalisation, discharge status, and consultation characteristics of a total of 376 patients hospitalised in the Medical Oncology Service between May and June 2024 were evaluated. Patients for whom consultation was requested and those for whom consultation was not requested were analysed comparatively. Patient data were retrieved retrospectively from the hospital's archive and automation system. Results: The median length of hospitalisation was five days (range: 1-43), and 17.3% of patients had a hospital stay exceeding 21 days. A total of 15.2% of patients were transferred to the intensive care unit, while 3.7% were referred to the palliative care ward. The data indicates that consultations were requested for 72.6% of patients, most frequently from infectious diseases (38.3%), cardiology (26.3%), and radiology (22.1%) departments. Compared to patients without consultation requests, those for whom consultations were requested exhibited significantly lower albumin/globulin ratios (p < 0.001), more advanced disease stages (p < 0.01), and prolonged hospitalisation durations (p < 0.001) Conclusions: Challenges in the management of oncology patients require the coordinated efforts of multiple specialities. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to prevent complications, increase treatment efficacy and improve clinical outcomes.