Chemotherapy is administered to a minority of hospitalized patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and is associated with less likelihood of death during hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: While treatment of DLBCL is largely outpatient, some patients require planned or unplanned admissions for chemotherapy, new diagnosis, relapse, or toxicity. We examined risk factors for receipt of inpatient chemotherapy and death during hospitalization.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2012-2013 HCUP-NIS. We identified patient and hospital characteristics that were associated with chemotherapy administration and death.

RESULTS: Chemotherapy was given in 3260/11,150 (29.2%) of hospitalizations. Younger age, urban teaching hospitals, fewer chronic conditions, male sex, non-Medicare insurance, and "less likelihood of dying" were associated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy portended lower odds of death; older age and longer hospitalizations were associated with increased odds of death.

CONCLUSION: We identified socio-demographics and clinical characteristics associated with inpatient chemotherapy in DLBCL patients. Chemotherapy is associated with lower odds of death during hospitalization, suggesting that most chemotherapy is given appropriately to non-critically ill patients. Clinical acuity is a stronger predictor of death than socio-demographics.