Prognostic factors in cancer patients in the intensive care unit

Intensive care has become important for the treatment of patients with cancer. However, the prognosis of these patients is considered poor a priori and decisions to admit a patient with cancer to the intensive care unit (ICU) are still source of controversy between oncologists and intensivists. The outcome of severely ill cancer patients does not depend solely on the causes that determine the admission to the ICU, but it also depends on cancer and anticancerrelated characteristics, such as performance status and cancer status.