Alcohol-related hospitalizations among patients with cancer in the United States: Trends and associated risk factors.

Abstract

10624 Background: Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing multiple cancers and has been linked to higher cancer-related mortality. Alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use may also compromise oncologic care and worsen the clinical course. However, little is known about the prevalence and outcomes of alcohol-related hospitalizations among patients with cancer. Methods: We analyzed trends and risk factors of alcohol-related hospitalizations among adults with cancer using the National Inpatient Sample database for the years 2016-2021. Alcohol-related admissions were identified using ICD-10 codes for intoxication, withdrawal, alcohol-induced mood and psychotic disorders, and other alcohol-induced disorders. Prevalence estimates were adjusted using discharge-level weights to represent national data. Linear and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess trends in alcohol-related admissions and associations with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: Among 12,027,846 non-elective hospitalizations for patients with cancer, 15,205 (0.13%) were alcohol related. From 2016 to 2021, we observed an average increase of 185 admissions per year (from 2130 to 3200, P = 0.009). After adjusting for all non-elective hospitalizations in cancer patients, the linear time trend in alcohol-related admissions increased by an average of 0.008% per year ( P <0.001). When stratified by diagnosis type, alcohol withdrawal was the leading cause of alcohol-related admissions (69.4%), followed by alcohol intoxication (22.2%). Factors associated with alcohol-related admissions included male sex, younger age, white race, rural residence, housing instability, opioid use disorder, mood and psychotic disorders (Table 1). Conclusions: Alcohol-related hospitalizations are rare among patients with cancer but have shown a significant upward trend in recent years. The factors linked to alcohol-related admissions in this population mirror known risk factors for harmful alcohol use among non-cancer patients. Further research is needed to improve alcohol use disorder screening, prevention, and management strategies for patients with cancer, particularly in high-risk populations. Multivariable predictors of alcohol-related hospitalizations in cancer patients. Characteristics Alcohol-related hospitalizationOdds Ratio (95% CI) SexFemaleMale 1 (reference)3.18 (2.90-3.47) Age category, years18-2930-4950-69>70 1.72 (1.18-2.53)5.96 (5.11-6.94)4.25 (3.78-4.79)1 (reference) Race/ethnicityWhiteBlackHispanicAsianOther 1 (reference)0.57 (0.51-0.66)0.51 (0.43-0.60)0.15 (0.10-0.26)0.67 (0.56-0.81) Hospital locationUrbanRural 1 (reference)1.29 (1.11-1.50) Housing instability 5.84 (5.00-6.84) Opioid use disorder 2.37 (2.01-2.81) Depressive disorder 3.51 (3.23-3.82) Psychotic disorder 1.27 (1.01-1.61)