Prognosis and Resuscitation Status of Critically Ill Patients with Lung Cancer Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (Report‪)‬

Lung cancer is a major public health problem (1,2). It is the second most common malignancy (3) but the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide (4,5). In Saudi Arabia, lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer among the male population and 15th among the female population, and the incidence of lung cancer is increasing. This is attributed to an increase in smoking among both males and females, which is a major risk factor (6). The five-year survival rate of all patients with lung cancer is less than 15% (7,8). The management of lung cancer is marked by aggressive surgical procedures and intensive chemotherapy and radiation (9,10). This has resulted in an increasing number of patients being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for the management of critical illness related to advanced underlying malignancy9. Survival rates in critically ill patients with cancer have improved over time, but patients admitted to the ICU with lung cancer often have acute life-threatening events, especially acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. In addition, these patients usually exhibit cardiac and pulmonary comorbidities related to smoking (11,12). An essential part of the treatment of lung cancer patients is the discussion of the prognosis of the disease, the treatment options available and the resuscitation status of the patient early in the course of the disease (9).