Table 1 Characteristics of the cancer patients who received or who did not receive chemotherapy during the last months of life
From: Trends in receiving chemotherapy for advanced cancer patients at the end of life
Year of death | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Months before death | 6 months | 3 months | 1 month | 6 months | 3 months | 1 month | 6 months | 3 months | 1 month | |||||||||
Number | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value | CTx (+) | P value |
201 (33) | 152 (25) | 136 (22) | 325 (46) | 283 (40) | 260 (37) | 597 (57) | 497 (47) | 582 (56) | ||||||||||
Gender | ||||||||||||||||||
Male | 132 (65.7) | NS | 98 (64.5) | NS | 83 (61.0) | NS | 199 (61.2) | NS | 199 (61.2) | NS | 165 (63.5) | NS | 371 (62.1) | 0.005 | 314 (3.2) | NS | 383(65.8) | NS |
Female | 69 (34.3) | 54 (35.5) | 53 (39.0) | 126 (38.8) | 126 (38.8) | 95 (36.5) | 226 (37.9) | 183 (36.8) | 199 (34.2) | |||||||||
Age | ||||||||||||||||||
≥65 years | 31 (15.4) | <0.001 | 29 (19.1) | 0.002 | 35 (25.7) | 0.005 | 83 (25.5) | <0.001 | 83 (25.5) | <0.001 | 85 (32.7) | <0.001 | 232 (38.9) | <0.001 | 197 (39.6) | 0.004 | 257 (44.2) | NS |
<65 years | 170 (84.6) | 123 (80.9) | 101 (74.3) | 242 (74.5) | 242 (74.5) | 175 (67.3) | 365 (61.1) | 300 (60.4) | 325 (55.8) | |||||||||
Place of residence | ||||||||||||||||||
City | 144 (71.6) | NS | 111 (73.0) | NS | 87 (64.0) | NS | 241 (74.2) | NS | 241 (74.2) | NS | 194 (74.6) | NS | 412 (69.0) | NS | 351 (70.6) | NS | 410 (70.4) | NS |
Other | 57 (28.4) | 41 (27.0) | 49 (36.0) | 84 (25.8) | 84 (25.8) | 66 (25.4) | 185 (31) | 146 (29.4) | 172 (29.6) | |||||||||
Chemosensitivity | ||||||||||||||||||
Others | 51 (25.4) | NS | 44 (28.9) | NS | 53 (39.0) | 0.045 | 86 (26.5) | 0.006 | 86 (26.5) | 0.006 | 99 (38.1) | <0.001 | 178 (29.8) | 0.01 | 149 (30.0) | 0.003 | 192 (33.0) | 0.002 |
Sensitive | 82 (40.8) | 63 (41.4) | 42 (30.9) | 166 (51.1) | 166 (51.1) | 116 (44.6) | 299 (50.1) | 255 (51.3) | 268 (46.0) | |||||||||
Insensitive | 68 (33.8) | 45 (29.6) | 41 (30.1) | 73 (22.5) | 73 (22.5) | 45 (17.3) | 120 (20.1) | 93 (18.7) | 122 (21.0) | |||||||||
Chemotherapy | ||||||||||||||||||
Oral CTx | 10 (5.0) | <0.001 | 14 (9.2) | <0.001 | 17 (12.5) | <0.001 | 20 (6.2) | <0.001 | 20 (6.2) | <0.001 | 26 (10) | <0.001 | 138 (23.1) | <0.001 | 125 (25.2) | <0.001 | 89 (15.3) | <0.001 |
IV CTx | 191 (95.0) | 138 (90.8) | 119 (87.5) | 305 (93.8) | 305 (93.8) | 234 (90) | 459 (76.9) | 372 (74.8) | 493 (84.7) | |||||||||