Frailty among hospitalized patients with pancreatic cancer: A National Inpatient analysis.

11183 Background: Frailty is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of outcomes in older adults with cancer; however, its prevalence and inpatient correlates among hospitalizations for pancreatic cancer remain incompletely characterized. We examined the national inpatient burden of frailty among adults hospitalized with pancreatic cancer and compared demographics, comorbidities, and healthcare utilization between frail and non-frail patients. Methods: We analyzed National Inpatient Sample data (2016–2020) to identify adult pancreatic cancer hospitalizations using ICD-10 codes. Frailty was defined by ICD-10 R54. Survey-weighted analyses accounted for complex sampling, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Among an estimated 775,510 weighted adult hospitalizations with pancreatic cancer, frailty was identified in 0.39%. Frail patients were significantly older (74.96 vs 68.32 years, p < 0.001) and more often female (56.4% vs 47.7%, p < 0.001). Frailty was more prevalent among patients from lower-income neighborhoods and varied by hospital region (both p < 0.01). Frail patients experienced longer hospital stays (7.16 vs 6.16 days, p < 0.001), with similar total hospitalization charges ($77,978 vs $75,477). Frailty was associated with higher burdens of congestive heart failure (15.9% vs 10.3%) and sepsis (22.8% vs 17.0%) (both p < 0.001). Frail patients demonstrated marked nutritional and functional vulnerability, including underweight status (24.6% vs 9.1%), anemia (52.5% vs 44.0%), malnutrition (46.2% vs 28.8%), chronic pain (24.4% vs 19.5%), and falls or mobility impairment (8.5% vs 3.6%) (all p < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, advanced age, female sex, underweight status, malnutrition, anemia, chronic pain, sepsis, congestive heart failure, functional impairment, and lower socioeconomic status remained independently associated with frailty. Conclusions: Frailty was uncommon but clinically meaningful among adults hospitalized with pancreatic cancer and was associated with advanced age, nutritional and functional vulnerability, acute illness severity, and socioeconomic disadvantage. These findings underscore the need for improved inpatient frailty recognition and targeted supportive care strategies. Predictor of frailty in pancreatic cancer. Predictors Frail (%) Non-frail (%) p-value Congestive heart failure 15.9 10.3 <0.001 Sepsis 22.8 17.0 <0.001 Underweight 24.6 9.1 <0.001 Anemia 52.5 44.0 <0.001 Malnutrition 46.2 28.8 <0.001 Chronic pain 24.4 19.5 <0.001 Falls/mobility impairment 8.5 3.6 <0.001 Obesity 4.4 8.6 0.0002 Smoking 9.3 12.2 0.034 Chronic kidney disease 16.2 12.8 0.012