Clinically defined chemotherapy-associated bowel syndrome predicts severe complications and death in cancer patients.

Background: Neutropenic patients are at risk of abdominal complications and yet the incidence and impact of these complications on patients' morbidity and mortality have not been sufficiently evaluated. We aimed to assess a clinical rule for early detection of abdominal complications leading to death or transfer to intensive care in patients with chemotherapy-associated neutropenia.

Design And Methods: This observational multicenter study was carried out in seven German hematology-oncology departments.