A review of 180 cancer patients requiring mechanical ventilation disclosed that 26% survived to extubation, and 13% and 7% were alive at two and six months, respectively. Mortality was related to several factors individually and the cumulative number of organ systems dysfunctioning in a given patient. Compared with general intensive care patients, those with respiratory failure and neoplastic disease demonstrated a high incidence of drug-induced pulmonary disease, hematologic abnormalities, pneumothorax, and infections with multiple and unusual organisms--all of which alter the approach to management. Although the long-term survival was poor, immediate survival was comparable with that of many groups of patients with respiratory failure.

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