Table 3. The relationship between TNM stage and clinico-pathological characteristics and quality of life in patients with gastro-oesophageal cancer (n=149).

	TNM I (n=28)	TNM II (n=46)	TNM III (n=34)	TNM IV (n=41)	P-value
Age: (<65 years/ 65–74 years/⩾75 years)	15/12/1	23/21/2	18/9/7	18/13/10	0.482
Sex: (male/female)	17/11	33/13	20/14	31/10	0.387
Tumour type: (squamous/adeno)	2/26	13/33	6/28	4/37	0.576
Tumour site: (oesophagus/gastric)	6/22	33/13	16/18	13/28	0.528
Tumour length: (<5 cm/5–10 cm/>10 cm)	19/7/0	21/22/3	10/19/3	8/22/6	<0.001
Weight loss: (yes/no)	14/14	29/17	23/11	34/7	0.004
Dysphagia score: (1/2/3/4/5)	22/3/3/0/0	20/10/9/7/0	14/5/9/5/1	23/5/10/3/0	0.130
ECOG: (0–1/2/3–4)	22/6/0	33/11/2	27/6/1	24/15/2	0.099
Treatment: (operable/inoperable)	25/3	26/20	15/19	1/40	<0.001
EORTC QLQ-C30 (0–100)	Median (range)	Median (range)	Median (range)	Median (range)
Physical functioning	93.3 (73.3–100)	100 (66.7–100)	100 (73.3–100)	86.7 (66.7–100)	0.023
Role functioning	66.7 (0–100)	66.7 (0–100)	66.7 (0–100)	50 (0–100)	0.058
Emotional functioning	66.7 (8.3–100)	75 (25–100)	83.3 (0–100)	58.3 (0–100)	0.042
Cognitive functioning	83.3 (50–100)	83.3 (33.3–100)	83.3 (16.7–100)	75 (0–100)	0.042
Social functioning	100 (33.3–100)	83.3 (0–100)	66.7 (0–100)	50 (0–100)	0.002
Global quality of life	66.7 (8.3–100)	66.7 (0–100)	50 (16.7–100)	41.7 (0–100)	0.001
Fatigue	27.8 (0–66.7)	22.2 (0–88.9)	33.3 (0–100)	55.6 (0–100)	0.002
Nausea and vomiting	16.7 (0–100)	0 (0–100)	16.7 (0–100)	16.7 (0–100)	0.553
Pain	16.7 (0–66.7)	16.7 (0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	16.7 (0–100)	0.098
Dyspnoea	16.7 (0–100)	0 (0–100)	0 (0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	0.014
Sleep disturbance	(0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	66.7 (0–100)	0.689
Appetite loss	0 (0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	66.7 (0–100)	<0.001
Constipation	33.3 (0–66.7)	16.7 (0–100)	0 (0–100)	33.3 (0–100)	0.013
Diarrhoea	0 (0–100)	0 (0–100)	0 (0–33.3)	0 (0–66.7)	0.601
Financial difficulty	0 (0–66.7)	0 (0–100)	0 (0–66.7)	0 (0–100)	0.306