More complications, readmissions seen in RCC patients with comorbidities

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with comorbidities are at greater risk for postoperative kidney and urinary complications and readmissions, reports a study, noting the importance of comorbidity management in surgical care in this population.

A total of 1,470 patients with a median of two comorbidities were included in the analysis. Patients with five or more comorbidities demonstrated increased rates of general complications (adjusted rate ratio [ARR], 1.47, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.96‒2.23) compared with those with no comorbidity.

Patients with 1 to 2 (ARR, 1.65, 95 percent CI, 1.07‒2.54), 3 to 4 (ARR, 2.29, 95 percent CI, 1.45‒3.62), and ≥5 comorbidities (ARR, 2.64, 95 percent CI, 1.60‒4.34) had significantly higher risks of kidney and urinary complications than those with no comorbidity.

Furthermore, RCC patients with ≥5 comorbidities were at greater risk of readmission (ARR, 1.65, 95 percent CI, 1.08‒2.54) than those without comorbidities. Such risk, however, did not significantly differ from those with fewer comorbidities.

The study used the MilCanEpi database to identify adult patients (aged 18 years and above) diagnosed with stage I to III RCC between 2001 and 2014 who received nephrectomy. Outcomes assessed were 90-day general and kidney and urinary complications, as well as hospital admissions.

The researchers estimated the ARRs with 95 percent CIs for Elixhauser comorbidity using multivariable Poisson regression.