Table 3. Baseline characteristics of 24 weight-losing patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer randomised to either control or n-3 fatty acid containing (experimental) sip feed.
| Control (n=15) | Experimental (n=9) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (M : F) | 4 : 11 | 6 : 3 | 0.068 |
| Age (years) | 70 (3) | 65 (2) | 0.159 |
| Stage of disease | |||
| II | 8 | 7 | 0.237 |
| III | 3 | 1 | |
| IV | 4 | 1 | |
| BMI (kg m−2) | 20 (1) | 21 (1) | 0.961 |
| % weight loss in previous 6 months | 19 (2) | 21 (2) | 0.500 |
| Karnofsky performance score | |||
| 60 | 3 | 1 | 0.871 |
| 70 | 6 | 6 | |
| 80 | 5 | — | |
| 90 | 1 | 2 | |
Values are mean (s.e.m.) or total number of patients; comparisons by Student's t-test, Fisher's exact or Wilcoxon's test where appropriate.