Table 2

1999 National projections of severe sepsis by tumor types, adultsa only

Tumor type
Hospitalizationsb
No severe sepsis mortality
Severe sepsis cases
Severe sepsis mortality
Severe sepsis ratec
Relative risk of severe sepsisd(confidence interval)

Noncancer






     Total patientse
22,651,429
2.0
790,743
24.9
4.2
1.00
Cancer






     Total patientse
2,531,994
7.1
126,209
37.8
16.4
3.96 (3.94 – 3.99)
Hematologic tumor






     Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
159,984
5.9
11,729
40.4
43.4
10.26 (10.08–10.44)
     Lymphocytic leukemia
60,365
5.9
6447
32.8
77.8
18.40 (17.97–18.84)
     Hodgkin's disease
20,617
3.3
1,575
38.0
17.2
4.07 (3.87–4.27)
     Multiple myeloma
69,576
6.1
6588
32.2
142.2
33.61 (32.87–34.38)
     Myeloid leukemia
53,523
9.7
8234
35.2
275.5
65.15 (63.95–66.36)
     Monocytic leukemia
949
14.5
110
45.8
108.3
25.62 (21.5–30.6)
     Total hematologic tumor
365,014
6.3
34,684
36.1
66.4
15.71 (15.55–15.88)
Solid tumors






     Breast cancer
197,808
3.1
2915
34.6
1.6
0.39 (0.38–0.4)
     Prostate cancer
225,789
3.5
6883
27.5
4.8
1.13 (1.1–1.16)
     Colon and rectum cancer
232,423
5.1
9409
35.8
9.8
2.32 (2.27–2.37)
     Urinary bladder cancer
85,256
3.6
3176
27.8
7.1
1.67 (1.61–1.73)
     Skin melanoma
14,203
4.9
200
38.1
0.5
0.11 (0.1–0.13)
     Corpus and uterus cancer
51,212
2.2
1002
27.1
2.4
0.57 (0.53–0.6)
     Lung and bronchus cancer
359,236
12.0
20,377
45.2
58.2
13.76 (13.58–13.95)
     Thyroid cancer
27,467
1.1
178
32.4
0.9
0.21 (0.18–0.24)
     Kidney and renal pelvis cancer
45,656
4.8
1510
28.0
8.8
2.07 (1.97–2.18)
     Ovary cancer
57,315
5.1
1682
33.3
10.8
2.56 (2.44–2.68)
     Brain and other nervous cancer
43,096
6.0
1512
28.2
27.5
6.50 (6.18–6.83)
     Total solid tumors
1,339,463
6.1
48,846
37.2
7.6
1.81 (1.79–1.82)

aAdults defined as aged > 20 years. bAfter adjusting for age and gender, cancer patients are much more likely to be hospitalized (relative risk, 2.77; 95% confidence interval, 2.773–2.779) and to be hospitalized with severe sepsis (relative risk, 3.96; 95% confidence interval, 3.94–3.99). cSevere sepsis cases per 1000 population. dRelative risk of severe sepsis between tumor type and noncancer population (excluding childbirth). eChildbirth-related discharges not included.

Williams et al. Critical Care 2004 8:R291   doi:10.1186/cc2893