Incidence and determinants of 1-month mortality after cancer-directed surgery

There is growing recognition that hospital mortality is not an accurate metric for surgery-related mortality after cancer operations.  This article evaluated SEER data for 1-month mortality after cancer surgery in nearly 54,000 patients.  4.8% died within 1 month of surgery.  Favorable factors included being married, being insured, having an above-median income, and having an above-median educational status.  Eliminating such adverse outcomes in those with socioeconomic disparities provides the opportunity to substantially improve cancer survival.