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Short report
Oncology mortality: weekend and summer vacation effect
  1. Sema Yilmaz Rakici1 and
  2. Ozlem Terzi2
  1. 1 Radiation Oncology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkey
  2. 2 Department of Public Health, Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey
  1. Correspondence to Dr Sema Yilmaz Rakici, Radiation Oncology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey; sema.rakici{at}erdogan.edu.tr

Abstract

Objectives In this study, we investigated the effect of the weekend and summer vacation on mortality in patients with cancer.

Methods All patient data were obtained from their hospital registry records and the Death Notification System of the Ministry of Health.

Results The majority of patients died in the hospital compared at home, 80.8% versus 19.2%, respectively. Patients aged <65 died mostly in hospital, which was the opposite of those aged ≥65, who died at home. While tumour location and histopathological type had no effect on the place of death, patients with metastasis (including single organ metastasis), diffuse metastases (diffuse metastases: multiple organ metastases) and patients with locally advanced stage disease were found to die more frequently in the hospital. Deaths in the hospital occurred most frequently in August, while deaths at home occurred most frequently in April and October. Deaths in the hospital occurred most frequently on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while deaths at home occurred more frequently on Monday. It was determined that the deaths in the hospital were significantly higher at the weekend.

Conclusion This study contains data supporting the weekend effect in oncology patients. Moreover, it provides new data on the increased death rates in August, which coincides with the summer vacation leave month.

  • Home care
  • Hospital care
  • Cancer
  • Terminal care

Data availability statement

Data are available from the RTEU medical faculty radiation oncology department. Our study was accepted as an e-poster to the 2023 XV. National Radiation Oncology Congress with Poster Number PS-066 on 2023-02-06.

https://doi.org/10.1136/spcare-2022-004143

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    Data availability statement

    Data are available from the RTEU medical faculty radiation oncology department. Our study was accepted as an e-poster to the 2023 XV. National Radiation Oncology Congress with Poster Number PS-066 on 2023-02-06.

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    Footnotes

    • X @syr53_

    • Contributors SYR conceptualised, designed the study and made the search. SYR screened, analysed the data and made the quality assessments, and drafted the original version of the manuscript. SYR and OT were involved in data analysis, interpretation, vetting and revision of the manuscript. Both authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.