Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Oncol Nurs Forum. 2008 Sep;35(5):779–785. doi: 10.1188/08.ONF.779-785

Table 3. Most Common Complications and Death Rates by Tumor Type.

Patients Who Died With Complication
Tumor Type and Complication n % n %
Colorectal (N = 11,253; deaths = 543)
 Gastrointestinal bleeding or blood loss 1,700 15.1 117 21.5
 Electrolyte or fluid abnormality 1,411 12.5 130 23.9
 Respiratory compromise 998 8.9 218 40.1
 Renal dysfunction 915 8.1 96 17.7
 Any complication 6,474 57.5 490 90.2
Prostate (N = 7,313; deaths = 102)
 Gastrointestinal bleeding or blood loss 970 13.3 14 13.7
 Urinary tract infection or cystitis 391 5.3 14 13.7
 Renal dysfunction 333 4.6 24 23.5
 Electrolyte or fluid abnormality 316 4.3 20 19.6
 Any complication 2,630 36.0 82 80.4
Endometrium (N = 2,765; deaths = 17)
 Gastrointestinal bleeding or blood loss 210 7.6 3 17.6
 Intestinal obstruction 192 6.9 1 5.9
 Pneumothorax 185 6.7 2 11.8
 Respiratory compromise 154 5.6 6 35.3
 Any complication 982 35.5 14 82.4
Ovarian (N = 1,779; deaths = 67)
 Gastrointestinal bleeding or blood loss 234 13.2 8 11.9
 Intestinal obstruction 222 12.4 9 13.4
 Pneumothorax 172 9.7 4 6.0
 Electrolyte or fluid abnormality 159 8.9 21 31.3
 Any complication 957 53.8 60 89.6
Lung (N = 539; deaths = 56)
 Pneumothorax 164 30.4 22 39.3
 Respiratory compromise 103 19.1 24 42.9
 Aspiration pneumonia 70 13.0 13 23.2
 Pneumonia, other 58 10.8 10 17.9
 Any complication 358 66.4 51 91.1
Esophagus (N = 367; death = 22)
 Pneumonia, other 92 25.1 3 13.6
 Respiratory compromise 88 24.0 10 45.5
 Electrolyte or fluid abnormality 52 14.2 7 31.8
 Aspiration pneumonia 49 13.4 2 9.1
 Any complication 254 69.2 18 81.8
Head and neck (N = 364; deaths = 10)
 Respiratory compromise 32 8.8 4 40.0
 Electrolyte or fluid abnormality 25 6.9 1 10.0
 Congestive heart failure 20 5.5 1 10.0
 Aspiration pneumonia 18 4.9 1 10.0
 Any complication 125 34.3 7 70.0
Pancreatic (N = 238; deaths = 19)
 Gastrointestinal bleeding or blood loss 47 19.7 3 15.8
 Electrolyte or fluid abnormality 37 15.5 7 36.8
 Respiratory compromise 35 14.7 11 57.9
 Pneumothorax 26 10.9 4 21.1
 Any complication 160 67.2 17 89.5

Note. Because of incomplete or missing data, N = 24,618.