Table 1. Clinical features at presentation (n=64).
| Numbera | Valid % | |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | ||
| Median (range) | 61 (37–86) | |
| KPS | ||
| Median (range) | 80 (40–90) | |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 31 | 48.4 |
| Female | 33 | 51.6 |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Caucasian | 53 | 84.1 |
| Black | 5 | 7.9 |
| Hispanic | 3 | 4.8 |
| Asian | 2 | 3.2 |
| Anatomic location | ||
| Oesophagusb | 19 | 29.7 |
| Stomach | 5 | 7.8 |
| Gallbladder | 5 | 7.8 |
| Pancreas | 6 | 9.4 |
| Small bowel | 2 | 3.1 |
| Colon | 13 | 20.3 |
| Rectum | 12 | 18.8 |
| Second malignancies | ||
| Yes | 11 | 20.4 |
| No | 43 | 79.6 |
| Predisposing medical conditionsc | ||
| Yes | 25 | 46.3 |
| None | 29 | 53.7 |
| Family history | ||
| GI malignancies | 9 | 30.0 |
| Other malignancies | 6 | 20.0 |
| None | 15 | 50.0 |
| Presenting symptom | ||
| Weight loss | 15 | 51.7 |
| Pain | 18 | 47.4 |
| Obstruction | 15 | 38.5 |
| Bleeding | 8 | 20.0 |
| Mass | 5 | 12.2 |
KPS=Karnofsky performance status; SmCC=small-cell carcinoma.
a
Data were missing with regard to ethnicity (one patient), other malignancies (10), predisposing medical condition (10), family history (34), weight loss (35), pain (26), obstruction (25), bleeding (24) and mass (23).
b
Including four patients with tumours in gastro-oesophageal junction.
c
Patients with at least one predisposing medical conditions for the development of non-SmCC tumours in the same organ: smoking (oesophageal, gastric and pancreatic tumours), alcohol use (oesophagus), gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (oesophagus), biliary disease (gallbladder), pancreatitis (pancreas), polyps (large bowel) and homosexuality (anus).s