Table 1.
Baseline clinical characteristics.
| Characteristics | SOC |
EPC |
|---|---|---|
| N = 237 | N = 233 | |
| Sexa | ||
| Male | 142 (59.9%) | 131 (56.2%) |
| Female | 95 (40.1%) | 102 (43.8%) |
| Age–median (interquartile range) | 68 yrs (61–74) | 67 yrs (60–73) |
| 18–64 years | 91 (38.4%) | 95 (40.8%) |
| >64 years | 146 (61.6%) | 138 (59.2%) |
| ECOG—Performance status | ||
| 0 | 54 (22.8%) | 50 (21.5%) |
| 1 | 137 (57.8%) | 141 (60.5%) |
| 2 | 46 (19.4%) | 42 (18.0%) |
| Interval between diagnostic and randomization–median (interquartile range) | 0.4 mo (0.2–0.7) | 0.4 mo (0.2–0.7) |
| Primary tumour site | ||
| Oesophagus | 20 (8.4%) | 19 (8.2%) |
| Gastric and oesogastric junction | 25 (10.5%) | 23 (9.9%) |
| Pancreas | 149 (62.9%) | 148 (63.5%) |
| Biliary tract | 43 (18.1%) | 43 (18.5%) |
| Sites of metastases | ||
| Peritoneum | 60 | 50 |
| Liver | 154 | 162 |
| Lung | 57 | 55 |
| Other | 59 | 54 |
| HADS, anxiety (N) | N = 221 | N = 222 |
| Anxiety score–median (interquartile range), | 7 (4–10) | 8 (5–11) |
| No anxiety (score ≤7) | 129 (58.4%) | 95 (43.2%) |
| Doubtful anxiety (score between 8 and 10) | 46 (20.8%) | 54 (24.5%) |
| Definite anxiety (score ≥11) | 46 (20.8%) | 71 (32.3%) |
| HADS, depression (N) | N = 222 | N = 220 |
| Depression score–median (interquartile range) | 6 (3–10) | 7 (4–11) |
| No depression (score ≤7) | 133 (59.9%) | 125 (56.8%) |
| Doubtful depression (score between 8 and 10) | 48 (21.6%) | 30 (20.7%) |
| Definite depression (score ≥11) | 41 (18.5%) | 29 (20.0%) |
| Global Health Status (EORTC QLQ-C30), N | 225 | 219 |
| Mean (standard deviation) | 56.2 (22.1) | 53.7 (21.6) |
SOC, standard oncological care alone; EPC, early palliative care; N: number of patients; ECOG performance status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status; HADS, hospital anxiety and depression scale; EORTC QLQ-C30, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30 items.
a
Sex: as reported by the patient upon admission to hospital.