Clinical Characteristics, Outcomes, and Prognosis among Cancer Patients with Acute Kidney Injury: A Single-Center Study at Sohag Cancer Center

Abstract

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequently occurring complication in patients with cancer that can arise from cancer, its  treatment, or other complications. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and outcomes of AKI among cancer patients in Egypt.

Patients and Methods: This study was conducted at the Intermediate Care Unit (ICU) of Sohag Oncology Center, Sohag, Egypt. This was  a retrospective study of 80 cancer patients diagnosed with AKI and admitted to the ICU with AKI between September 2022 and June 2023.

Results: The median age of the participants was 58 years. Approximately 52% were females, 95% were diagnosed with solid tumors, and  57% received chemotherapy. According to the RIFLE criteria, 59% of the participants were classified as "Failure", 36% as "Injury", and 5%  as "Risk". Approximately 66% of the patients presented with normal consciousness, 82% with repeated vomiting, 99% with fatigue and  anorexia, and 88% with hypovolemia. The serum creatinine (SCr) concentration, urea concentration, and international normalized ratio  (INR) significantly decreased from presentation to discharge (Pvalue <0.001, <0.001, and 0.031, respectively). However, sodium,  potassium, and calcium levels and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) significantly increased (P=0.004, 0.011, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively). Here, 68% of patients were discharged without the need for dialysis, 18% needed dialysis, and 14% died. Disturbed  consciousness (OR=0.14; p = 0.003) and hypovolemia (OR=0.49; p = 0.001) were found to be independent predictors of participant  improvement.

Conclusion: AKI was more prevalent among elderly females with solid tumors. Common symptoms at presentation were  vomiting, fatigue, anorexia, electrolyte imbalances, and hypovolemia. However, additional research is needed to determine the impact of  AKI on cancer outcomes.