The majority of chemotherapy drugs are dosed based on body surface area (BSA). No standard BSA values for patients being treated in the United Kingdom are available on which to base dose and cost calculations. We therefore retrospectively assessed the BSA of patients receiving chemotherapy treatment at three oncology centres in the UK between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2005.A total of 3613 patients receiving chemotherapy for head and neck, ovarian, lung, upper GI/pancreas, breast or colorectal cancers were included. The overall mean BSA was 1.79 m2 (95% CI 1.78–1.80) with a mean BSA for men of 1.91 m2 (1.90–1.92) and 1.71 m2 (1.70–1.72) for women. Results were consistent across the three centres. No significant differences were noted between treatment in the adjuvant or palliative setting in patients with breast or colorectal cancer. However, statistically significant, albeit small, differences were detected between some tumour groups.In view of the consistency of results between three geographically distinct UK cancer centres, we believe the results of this study may be generalised and used in future costings and budgeting for new chemotherapy agents in the UK.

Objectives: Patients with suspected Neutropenic sepsis require rapid antibiotic administration, but despite extensive education, only 67% of patients received antibiotics within 60 minutes. Methods: A Neutropenic Sepsis Alert Card was created, as a Patient Specific Directive – this allows nurses to administer antibiotics to specific patients without prior medical review. Results: Since the intervention, 301 patients presented with suspected neutropenic sepsis. 277 patients (92%) received their first dose of intravenous antibiotics within 1 hour of arrival into hospital, compared to 95 out of 143 patients (67%) presenting between January and June of 2014 (p=0.036). Conclusion: The Neutropenic Sepsis Alert Card can significantly improve door to antibiotic needle time for chemotherapy patients with suspected neutropenic sepsis. This intervention is inexpensive and easily replicable in other health care organisations.

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Neutropenic sepsis can be life threatening, with mortality 2-21%. The heterogeneity of patients referred with “suspected neutropenic sepsis” has led to strategies being developed to risk-stratify patients and identify those with a low risk of septic complications that could be managed in the outpatient setting, such as The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer score (MASCC). Outcomes for patients referred with suspected neutropenic sepsis were assessed before and after use of MASCC guided early-supported discharge. 50/123 (41%) patients over 24 months were eligible for early-supported discharge. 26/50 patients had same-day discharge, 14 had overnight admission, 8 stayed 2 nights and 2 stayed 3 nights. Patients received on average 2 follow-up telephone consultations. There were 5 readmissions (10%) and no adverse events. In comparison group; 8 patients over 3-months would have been suitable, potentially saving 40 bed-days. This shows MASCC guided early-supported discharge is safe and cost-effective.

277 Background: Cancer is associated with an increased risk of venous and arterial thrombo-embolic events (TEEs), including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, cerebrovascular accident and unstable angina/myocardial infarction. Several factors are known to influence the incidence of TEEs including chemotherapy agents, particularly cisplatin. Czaykowski et al reported 12.9% of patients receiving multiagent cisplatin based chemotherapy for transitional cell carcinoma between 1986 and 1996 developed TEE. Moore et al found that the rate of TEE in a similar cohort of patients receiving the same treatment to be 18.2% (6/33 patients). Methods: Retrospective case note review from an electronic database of patients allocated a cisplatin based neo-adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder between April 2009 and April 2012. TEE was recorded as a chemotherapy related event if it occurred between the first dose of cisplatin and 4 weeks after the last administered dose. Results: 44 received treatment in the neoadjuvant setting. 11 out of 44 patients (25%) receiving neo-adjuvant chemotherapy developed TEE. 7 out of these 11 patients were male, 4 were female. 9 of the 11 TEEs (82%) in the neoadjuvant setting were arterial or peripheral arterial thrombi, including pulmonary emboli and thrombi within the aorta, left ventricle and iliac arteries. 5 of these thrombi were asymptomatic and only discovered on routine scanning. 2 out of the 11 TEEs were leg deep vein thromboses – both of which were symptomatic. 64% of TEEs occurred after the second cycle of cisplatin, the remainder after the third cycle. Conclusions: Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is being adopted as the standard of care for patients with muscle-invasive TCC of bladder. The higher rate of TEE in our series compared to previous publications probably reflects the asymptomatic TEE being diagnosed on scans done for assessing response to chemotherapy. The significant rates of TEEs in this setting highlights the need to consider this complication as it may have a bearing on outcome from treatment, in particular delay in radical cystectomy.