Predicting Length of Stay in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Monocentric Study in Italy

Colorectal cancer is associated with high healthcare costs, and reducing hospital length of stay (LOS) is a priority for hospitals. Our study aimed to predict LOS after surgical resection for colorectal cancer using demographic and clinical characteristics available in administrative data. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients discharged from Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy, between 2019 and 2022. Multiple linear regression was used to model the relationship between demographic and clinical characteristics and LOS. The multiple regression model predicted postoperative LOS. Age and emergency department admission were significant predictors and positively correlated with postoperative LOS. Our findings suggest that age and emergency department admission may be useful predictors for identifying patients at risk for prolonged postoperative LOS after colorectal cancer surgery. These findings may inform resource allocation decisions in colorectal cancer surgery.