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