DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjm.2026.v12i09.030

Pages: 989-993

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by brachytherapy is the standard curative treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. In patients hospitalized during treatment, acute toxicity, clinical decompensation, and organizational constraints may prolong the hospital stay and disrupt treatment continuity. Objective: To describe the frequency of prolonged hospitalization, the clinical and tumor profile of hospitalized patients, and the main indicators of treatment delivery. Methods: This descriptive retrospective cohort included 260 women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer who were hospitalized during definitive CCRT at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat between January 2024 and December 2025. For all patients, hospital length of stay (LOS) corresponded to the length of the index stay, defined as the first documented hospitalization during CCRT. Prolonged hospitalization was defined as an index stay of ≥7 days. Results are presented as numbers, percentages, and medians with interquartile range (IQR). Results: The median index length of stay was 7 days (IQR: 4–8), and 155 patients (59.6%; 95% CI: 53.6–65.4) had prolonged hospitalization. FIGO stage III–IVA disease was present in 206 patients (79.2%), baseline hemoglobin <10 g/dL in 164 (63.1%), and malnutrition in 133 (51.2%). Grade ≥3 toxicity was reported in 166 patients (63.8%). Blood transfusion and intravenous antibiotic therapy were required in 164 (63.1%) and 189 patients (72.7%), respectively. Radiotherapy was interrupted in 86 patients (33.1%). Overall, 151 (58.1%) received at least five cycles of cisplatin, 188 (72.3%) completed brachytherapy, and 112 (43.1%) had an overall treatment time >56 days. 30-day readmission occurred in 112 patients (43.1%), and 14 in-hospital deaths (5.4%) were recorded. Conclusion: In this selected cohort of patients hospitalized during CCRT, nearly six out of ten had an index stay of ≥7 days. The high frequency of severe toxicities, transfus