Hospitalized malignant neoplasm patients show high comorbidity burden and distinct disease patterns across 163 Chinese hospitals.

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Frontiers in Medicine Published April 9, 2026 Medically reviewed April 25, 2026 DOI ↗ By Dr. Julia Lee, PhD · Oncology, Genomics & Drug Development

Key Takeaway

Note high comorbidity burden and specific patterns in malignant neoplasm patients to guide resource allocation.

This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 107,029 hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant neoplasms across 163 hospitals in Zhanjiang, China. The research focused on characterizing the disease spectrum and comorbidity patterns within this large population. No specific intervention or comparator was evaluated, as the study design was observational.

Among the ten most common malignancies, these conditions accounted for 75.96% of cases. The median number of co-diagnosed conditions across major malignancies was five. Hospitalization frequency was observed to be more frequent among rural populations, males, and individuals aged 65 years or older. Specific patterns emerged, including associations between liver cancer and chronic viral hepatitis or hepatic fibrosis, lung cancer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, and colorectal cancer with inflammatory bowel disease-related conditions and intestinal obstruction.

Safety data, adverse events, and tolerability were not reported in the study. The authors note that the study phase and publication type were not reported. Key limitations include the observational nature of the data, which precludes causal inferences regarding the identified associations. Funding sources and conflicts of interest were not reported.

These findings support the need for integrated clinical management and targeted healthcare resource allocation, particularly for older, male, and rural patient populations. Clinicians should interpret these comorbidity patterns as descriptive associations rather than causal relationships.

Study Details

Study typeCohort

EvidenceLevel 3

PublishedMar 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

BackgroundPrevious studies indicate a high comorbidity burden among patients with malignant neoplasms, but claims-based comorbidity patterns have not been systematically characterized at the regional multi-hospital level in China.MethodsThis study is a multi-center, hospital-based retrospective analysis of inpatient insurance claims. We analyzed anonymized inpatient medical insurance claims data (2016–2021) from 163 hospitals in Zhanjiang, China, focusing on hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant neoplasms. Malignant neoplasms and comorbidities were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision(ICD-10) codes. Disease spectrum was stratified by sex, age, and region. Comorbidity patterns were delineated using association rule mining and network analysis.ResultsAmong 107,029 patients, the ten most common malignancies accounted for 75.96% of all cases. Hospitalizations were more frequent among rural populations, males, and individuals aged ≥65 years. The median number of co-diagnosed conditions across major malignancies was 5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3–7). Network analysis revealed three major co-diagnosis clusters: 1) liver cancer with chronic viral hepatitis and hepatic fibrosis; 2) lung cancer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia; and 3) colorectal cancer with inflammatory bowel disease-related conditions and intestinal obstruction. Patterns varied across sex, age groups, and urban–rural residence.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates a high comorbidity burden among hospitalized cancer patients, with distinct malignancy-specific co-diagnosis patterns. These findings support the need for integrated clinical management and targeted healthcare resource allocation, particularly for older, male, and rural patient populations.