Perception of prognosis of cancer patients by non-oncologists.

BACKGROUND: Data are lacking regarding the perception of cancer patients' prognosis by physicians who are not oncologists. METHODS: This was a multicenter survey of seven university-affiliated hospitals, assessing physicians' perception of the median survival of patients with seven advanced malignancies. The study cohort included physicians from all 73 internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine and critical care departments in the participating hospitals. Family practitioners were contacted through email. Physicians' specialty, age, professional status and hospital type (secondary vs tertiary) were noted. The primary end-point was defined as the percentage of answers with a pessimistic error of more than a year in perception of prognosis as compared with current literature. The secondary end-point was defined as any pessimistic answer. RESULTS: Four hundred and eighty-eight physicians filled the questionnaire, including 429 hospital physicians and 59 family practitioners. Perception of prognosis was pessimistic when compared with current literature, with 37% and 59% of the answers meeting the primary and the secondary end-points, respectively. Younger age, resident status and work at a secondary hospital were associated with pessimistic perception (P<.001 for all variables). Pessimistic outlook was similar for all specialties and for most malignancies, including those with considerable cure rates such as Hodgkin's lymphoma and germ cell tumour. CONCLUSION: Non-oncologists are considerably over pessimistic regarding their perception of the cancer patients' prognosis. A pessimistic perception of prognosis might cause undertreatment and therefore affect both patients' quality of life and their actual survival. Education regarding cancer therapy and its benefits should be emphasised for non-oncologists involved in cancer patient care.

Differential Serum Phosphate Levels in Pediatric Febrile Syndromes and Their Clinical Significance.

BACKGROUND: The potential of hypophosphatemia (HP) to differentiate between febrile syndromes and its clinical significance in children without sepsis were not previously described. METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected of febrile children aged 3 months to 18 years, hospitalized at general pediatric wards during 2010-2019. Phosphate levels were compared between bacterial infection (BI), viral infection (VI), and Kawasaki disease (KD). Regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between HP and outcome. RESULTS: Of 3963 febrile children, 559 had BI, 3271 had VI, and 133 had KD. In BI compared to VI and KD, HP was more prevalent (49.2%, 19.7%, and 31.6%, respectively; P<0.001) and more severe [median (interquartile range) phosphate standard deviation score: -1.85 (2.08), -0.56 (2.08), and -1.20 (2.28), respectively; P<0.001]. In the BI group, Pi-SDS level was lower among patients with than without bacteremia (-2.33 ± 1.8 vs. -0.79 ± 1.68; P<0.001). Phosphate levels displayed discriminatory potential between bacterial and viral etiologies, with an area under the curve of 0.719 (95% CI, 0.697-0.742). Minimal phosphate standard deviation score values had a negative weak correlation with the maximal C-reactive protein levels and white blood cell count. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed an association of HP with a more severe disease course, manifested by longer hospital stay [+2.10 (95% CI, 0.75-3.46) days; P=0.003] and a higher rate of intensive care unit admission [odds ratio, 2.63 (95% CI, 1.94-3.56); P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hypophosphatemia rates were highest in bacterial etiology, intermediate in KD, and lowest in viral etiology and were associated with poorer outcomes. Phosphate level may serve as a marker for ruling out a bacterial etiology.