What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Cancer requiring non-elective medical admission to ICU. Intervention: Non-elective medical admission to ICU. Primary outcome: in-ICU mortality (p=0.016).

What does this research mean for the field?

Critically ill cancer patients requiring non-elective ICU admission have an in-ICU mortality rate of 52.94%, with age, malignancy type, treatment intent, and the need for early invasive mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, and dialysis serving as independent predictors of mortality. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

January 20, 2026Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine1 citationsOpen Access

Outcomes of Cancer Patients Requiring Non-elective Medical Admission to the Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Center in India: A 5-year Retrospective Study

SSSurabhi SandillAll India Institute of Medical Sciences SMSeema MishraAll India Institute of Medical Sciences RGRakesh GargShree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University

Key Result

Non-elective medical admission to the ICU for critically ill cancer patients was associated with an in-ICU mortality of 52.94%, with age and need for organ support as independent predictors.

Study Design

Type

Observational

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Population

Critically ill adult cancer patients with solid organ or hematological malignancies requiring non-elective medical admission to the ICU in India.

Outcome

In-ICU mortalityhard clinical

In a tertiary care center in India, non-elective ICU admission for cancer patients was associated with a 52.94% mortality rate, driven by factors like age and need for organ support.

Main Result

p-value: p=0.016

Abstract

Background and aims: In India, where cancer incidence is rising, and healthcare infrastructure in tertiary care centers is strained, the outcomes of cancer patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) care remain poorly understood. We aim to describe demographic, clinical, and survival data and to identify factors associated with mortality in non-elective medical admissions of critically ill cancer patients to ICU in a tertiary care hospital. Patients and methods: Retrospective observational study of non-elective medical admissions of critically ill adult cancer patients to the ICU with a diagnosis of solid organ or hematological malignancies between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2022. Data regarding patient and neoplasm characteristics, ICU admission features, and outcomes were collected from medical records and ICU charts. Results: = 0.016), were independent risk factors associated with higher ICU mortality. Conclusion: An increasing number of cancer patients require intensive care, and our study suggests that many of these patients have a reasonable chance of surviving their ICU stay. The in-ICU mortality of 52.94% was observed at our tertiary care center in India. Independent predictors of mortality included age, type of malignancy, treatment intent, need for early IMV, vasopressors, and dialysis in the ICU. How to cite this article: . Outcomes of Cancer Patients Requiring Non-elective Medical Admission to the Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Center in India: A 5-year Retrospective Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2026;30(1):13-18.

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