Tumori Journal Abstract Book - October 2020 - 170

170	
the rate of hospitalization of overall cancer patients and
LCPs on anticancer treatment before and after the introduction of NTT.
Results: From September 2018 to September 2019 1,075
patients received systemic anticancer treatment (versus 936
patients in the corresponding 2017 - 2018 period). Total consultations at NTT were 429; 581 TRAEs were reported. 117
patients reported more than one TRAE. CTCAE graded as
G1 were 237 (40.8%), G2 231 (39.8%) or G3-G4 113
(19.4%). LCPS were the most frequent callers (96, 22.4%)
with 30 (31.3%) patients reporting G3-G4 events. The most
common grade ⩾ 3 TRAE among LCPs was fever [11 events
(36.7%) that resulted a febrile neutropenia in 1 case] followed by cancer pain [7 (23.3%)] and fatigue [5 (16.7%)]. In
the observation period, 109 overall cancer patients on treatment were hospitalized versus 138 in the 2017-2018 period
with a normalized hospitalization rate of 10.1% versus
14.7% (p=0.002, chi-square) with a reduction of normalized
number of hospitalization of 44 (estimated cost savings of
380.160 Euros). This reduction was mainly due to numerical
reduction of hospitalizations of lung cancer patients on treatment (16 vs 36 patients, p=0.105 chi-square).
Conclusions: Our results provided evidence of successful
implementation of the NTT system in reducing rates of
hospitalization through emergency room in cancer patients
receiving modern medical treatments. The benefit was particularly noteworthy for LCPs.

S06
Access to Emergency Department
among oncological patients in
two different period: underlying
causes, patients' characteristics
and outcome
Raitano M.1, Ferrari V.2, Bossi P.2, Terragnoli P.3, Libertini M.4,
Paolillo C.5, Zaniboni A.4, Concoreggi C.5, Zamparini M.6, Gritti S.7,
Berruti A.2
1
Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia; 2UO Oncologia Medica Spedali
Civili, Brescia; 3Pronto Soccorso Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia; 4UO
Oncologia Medica Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia; 5Pronto Soccorso
Spedali Civili, Brescia; 6Spedali Civili, Brescia; 7Università degli Studi di
Brescia, Brescia

Background: Rates of Emergency Department (ED) use
among oncological patients is higher than in general population. Reasons for access have been poorly characterized
in literature and need to be carefully studied to evaluate
their appropriateness.
Methods: We retrospectively analysed two series of oncological patients who accessed the ED in two different
period of time: the first one from January 2013 to February
2014 at Spedali Civili and Poliambulanza hospitals in
Brescia; the second one only at the ED of Spedali Civili
during all 2019.

Tumori Journal 106(2S)
The following data were gathered: demographic data,
oncologic disease, main signs/symptoms causing the
access to the ED, the way of accessing ED, the triage
results, and the outcome of the visit.
Results: In the first series we evaluated 1654 patients: 979
from Spedali Civili (average of 75 accesses per month)
and 675 from Poliambulanza (average of 52 accesses per
month); while in the second one 887 patients (average of
74 accesses per month). No significant difference between
the 2 Hospitals was identified in the first series.
In the 2013/2014 series, median age was 70.4 (range
15-113), mainly male (58.7%). Main reason of ED access
was pain (21.3%), followed by dyspnea (13.2%) and hemorrhages (10.2%); lung cancer was the most frequent primary (18%). Most of the oncologic patients accessed ED
by self-presentation (65%) and the visit's outcome was
patient's hospitalization in most of the cases (62.8%).
In the 2019 study, median age was 71 (range 15-96),
mainly male (61.9%). The main cause of ED access in the
2019 study was pain (22.9%), followed by dyspnea
(13.5%), hemorrhages (9.8%) and confusion (9.2%). The
most represented tumors were those concerning the urogenital system (22%, mostly prostatic cancer), followed by
the lungs (19.4%). Self-presentation happened in 62.4% of
cases; outcome of the visit was patient's hospitalization in
42.2% of the cases.
Conclusions: Pain is the main cause of access to ED
among oncological patients. In the treatment period analyzed there was a reduction in the rate of patient hospitalization after ED access. Systematic implementation of
simultaneous care in cancer patients could reduce ED
access by better treating emerging symptoms and by creating a network of care.

S07
End-of-life care in oncology:
do patients really need
hospitalization?
Marcantognini G.1, Fiordoliva I.1, Luminati C.1, Meletani T.1, Baleani
M.G.1, Di Pietro Paolo M.1, Pierantoni C.1, Antognoli S.1, Berardi R.1
1

Clinica Oncologica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, AOU Ospedali Riuniti
di Ancona, Ancona

Background: Hospital admission of patients with
advanced cancer is often due to increasingly severe symptoms, although it is indeed associated with higher patients'
suffering and health care costs. The aim of this study is to
analyse consecutive patients died at our institution in order
to describe end-of-life needs and define adequate palliative cares.
Material and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients hospitalized at our Oncology Department
and died between January 2017 and April 2019. Overall
Tumori Journal Abstract Book - October 2020

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