Table 1.
Characteristic of Study Population (N = 5855)
| Characteristics | Number (n) | Percent (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | |||
| Male | 3230 | 55.2 | |
| Female | 2625 | 44.8 | |
| Age of death in years (median age 69 ± SD 14) | |||
| 0–17 | 20 | 0.3 | |
| 18–34 | 75 | 1.3 | |
| 35–64 | 1872 | 32.0 | |
| 65–74 | 1691 | 28.9 | |
| 75–84 | 1487 | 25.4 | |
| ≥85 | 710 | 12.1 | |
| Primary cancer prior to first therapy | |||
| Yes | 545 | 9.3 | |
| No | 5310 | 90.7 | |
| Recurrent cancer | |||
| Yes | 1930 | 33.1 | |
| No | 3917 | 66.9 | |
| Metastasis | |||
| Yes | 2830 | 48.3 | |
| No | 3025 | 51.7 | |
| Malignant neoplasms | |||
| Solid tumors | 5355 | 91.5 | |
| Hematological malignancies | 500 | 8.5 | |
| Primary diagnosis | |||
| C00–C14 | Malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity, and pharynx | 490 | 8.4 |
| C15–C26 | Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs | 1826 | 31.2 |
| C30–C39 | Malignant neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs | 637 | 10.9 |
| C43 | Malignant melanoma of skin | 306 | 5.2 |
| C50 | Malignant neoplasm of breast | 641 | 10.9 |
| C51–C58 | Malignant neoplasms of female genital organs | 373 | 6.4 |
| C60–C63 | Malignant neoplasms of male genital organs | 357 | 6.1 |
| C64–C68 | Malignant neoplasms of urinary tract | 367 | 6.3 |
| C69–C72 | Malignant neoplasms of eye, brain, and other parts of central nervous system | 358 | 6.1 |
| C81–C96 | Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic, and related tissue | 500 | 8.5 |
| Duration from diagnosis until death in months | |||
| 0–12 | 1946 | 33.2 | |
| >12 | 3909 | 66.8 | |
| Contact with specialized palliative care unit within 30 days before death | |||
| No | 5202 | 88.8 | |
| Yes | 653 | 11.2 | |
SD, standard deviation.