Table 1 Characteristics of the patients
Category | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Measure | No PC decision at all | PC decision at some point | PC decision and appointment to a PC unit at some point | Total |
Number of patients, N (%) | 176 (19%) | 424 (45%) | 349 (37%) | 949 (100%) |
Gender, N (%) | ||||
Male | 86 (49%) | 225 (53%) | 188 (54%) | 499 (53%) |
Female | 90 (51%) | 199 (47%) | 161 (46%) | 450 (47%) |
Age (years) at death, mean (Stdev) | 64 (11.9) | 67 (11.8) | 68 (12.5) | 67 (12.1) |
Cancer diagnoses, N (%) | ||||
Upper gastrointestinal | 29 (16%) | 83 (20%) | 106 (30%) | 218 (23%) |
Colorectal cancers | 17 (10%) | 52 (12%) | 54 (15%) | 123 (13%) |
Lung * | 27 (15%) | 75 (18%) | 16 (5%) | 118 (12%) |
Breast cancer | 24 (14%) | 53 (13%) | 29 (8%) | 106 (11%) |
Prostate cancers | 13 (7%) | 19 (4%) | 35 (10%) | 67 (7%) |
Cancers of urinary tract | 6 (3%) | 29 (7%) | 26 (7%) | 61 (6%) |
Primary CNS malignancies | 16 (9%) | 30 (7%) | 14 (4%) | 60 (6%) |
Lymphomas | 6 (3%) | 20 (5%) | 11 (3%) | 37 (4%) |
Invasive skin cancers | 6 (3%) | 17 (4%) | 9 (3%) | 32 (3%) |
Sarcomas | 5 (3%) | 10 (2%) | 15 (4%) | 30 (3%) |
Gynecological cancers * | 9 (5%) | 8 (2%) | 11 (3%) | 28 (3%) |
Head & Neck (H&N) | 8 (5%) | 12 (3%) | 8 (2%) | 28 (3%) |
Others | 10 (6%) | 16 (4%) | 15 (4%) | 41 (4%) |
Time (months) from diagnosis to death, mean (Stdev) | 33 (44) | 37 (43) | 41 (46) | 37 (44) |
DNR decision made, N (% of category) | 77 (44%)a,c | 240 (57%)a,b | 171 (49%)b,c | 488 (51%) |
Place of death, N (%) | ||||
Home | 26 (15%) | 37 (9%) | 73 (21%) | 136 (14%) |
Hospice | 10 (6%) | 53 (13%) | 31 (9%) | 94 (10%) |
Nursing home | 3 (2%) | 9 (2%) | 7 (2%) | 19 (2%) |
Primary care ward | 81 (46%)d | 236 (56%)d | 205 (59%)d | 522 (55%) |
Secondary / tertiary healthcare | 50 (28%)d | 80 (19%)d | 22 (6%)d | 152 (16%) |
Unknown | 6 (3%) | 9 (2%) | 11 (3%) | 26 (3%) |