Table 1 Participant’s characteristics. Numbers (N) of patients with percentages (%) and mean (M) with standard deviation (SD). Statistical comparisons between the groups were performed with Chisquare^a or t-test^b, p < 0.05 indicating significant difference and NS non-significant difference

Total number patients

101 (53%)

89 (47%)

Gender

NS^a

Female

54 (53.4%)

61 (68.5%)

Male

47 (46.6%)

28 (31.5%)

Age

< 0.05^b

Female

70 (10.5)

74 (6.6)

Male

73 (7.2)

74 (8)

Diseases

< 0.05^b

Metastatic cancer

60 (59%)

Non-metastatic cancer

51 (41%)

Endocrine pathology

29 (28.7%)

21 (23.6%)

Cardiac pathology

27 (26.7%)

29 (32.6%)

Neurological pathology

5 (4.9%)

16 (17.8%)

Respiratory pathology

5 (4.9%)

11 (12.3%)

Rheumatic pathology

5 (4.9%)

12 (13.5%)

No additional pathology

30 (29.7%)

Charlson Comorbidity Index

< 0,05^b

Metastatic cancer

5.5 (1.8)

Non-metastatic cancer

8.7 (1.4)

Non-cancer

4.23 (1)

Duration of disease

< 0,05^a

0–3 months

7 (6.9%)

1 (1.1%)

> 3 months but < 6 months

8 (7.9%)

1 (1.1%)

6–12 months

14 (13.8%)

1 (1.1%)

> 1 year

72 (71.2%)

86 (96.6%)

Current place of care

< 0,05^a

At hospital

74 (73.3%)

12 (13.5%)

At home

27 (26.7%)

77 (86.5%)

Religious background

< 0.05^a

Non-religious

12 (11.9%)

-

Lutherans

55 (54.4%)

14 (15.7%)

Orthodox

14 (13.8%)

42 (47.2%)

Catholics

13 (12.8%)

26 (29.2%)

Others

2 (1.9%)

-

No answer

5 (4.9%)

6 (6.7%)

Location

NS^b

South-Western

76 (75.2%)

41 (46%)

Mid-Eastern

17 (16.8%)

43 (48.3%)

Northern

8 (7.9%)

5 (5.6%)