Alarm from the peritoneum: Gastrointestinal perforations in cancer patients, with a focus on perforations of unknown origin

Figure 1 Patients’ disposition. Classifications of gastrointestinal perforation in the study population according to etiology, including cancer-related, cancer-unrelated and unknown causes. ¹Iatrogenic perforations include those occurring within 7 days after invasive procedures such as gastroscopy, colonoscopy, biliary drainage, or enema.

Figure 2 Overall survival. Kaplan-Meier curves of overall survival from the time of gastrointestinal perforation, stratified by perforation etiology (cancer-related, cancer-unrelated, and unknown cause). Log-rank test P = 0.954. Numbers at risk are shown below. OS: Overall survival.

Figure 3 Forest plot. Forest plot showing hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for overall survival after gastrointestinal perforation. Analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models. The reference categories are indicated. A hazard ratio greater than 1 indicates worse prognosis, while a hazard ratio less than 1 indicates improved survival. P values are reported on the right.

Figure 4 Time interval. A: From the last chemotherapy to gastrointestinal perforation. Kaplan-Meier curves showing the time interval from the last chemotherapy administration to gastrointestinal perforation, stratified by perforation etiology (cancer-related, cancer-unrelated, and unknown cause). The analysis includes only patients who received chemotherapy prior to perforation; B: From gastrointestinal perforation to surgical interventions. Kaplan-Meier curves showing the time from gastrointestinal perforation to surgical intervention, stratified by perforation etiology (cancer-related, cancer-unrelated, and unknown cause). The analysis includes only patients who underwent surgery. Numbers at risk are shown below the X-axis.