Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of 299 Patients with Advanced Cancer
| Characteristics | N (%)a |
|---|---|
| Age, average (range) | 62 (20–98) |
| Female sex | 141 (47) |
| Cancer diagnosis | |
| Breast | 32 (11) |
| Gastrointestinal | 43 (14) |
| Genitourinary | 33 (11) |
| Gynecologic | 14 (5) |
| Head and neck | 15 (5) |
| Hematologic | 25 (8) |
| Other | 27 (9) |
| Respiratory | 110 (37) |
| Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, median (interquartile range) | |
| Pain | 5 (2–7) |
| Fatigue | 6 (5–8) |
| Nausea | 0 (0–3) |
| Depression | 0 (0–5) |
| Anxiety | 3 (0–6) |
| Drowsiness | 5 (3–7) |
| Appetite | 5 (4–8) |
| Well-being | 5 (3–7) |
| Shortness of breath | 5 (3–8) |
| Sleep | 5 (3–7) |
| Potential causes of dyspneab | |
| Airway lesion | 24 (8) |
| Lung parenchymal metastasis | 125 (42) |
| Lymphangitic carcinomatosis | 25 (8) |
| Pulmonary embolism | 12 (4) |
| Pneumonia | 145 (48) |
| Pleural effusion | 166 (56) |
| Heart failure | 8 (3) |
| Tamponade | 2 (1) |
| Anemia (<11 g/L) | 232 (78) |
| Metabolic acidosis | 3 (1) |
| Atelectasis | 121 (41) |
| Pericardial effusion | 26 (9) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 29 (10) |
| Pneumothorax | 7 (2) |
| Pulmonary fibrosis | 7 (2) |
| Others | 9 (3) |
| Total number of potential causes, median (interquartile range) | 3 (2–4) |
a
Unless otherwise specified.
b
Based on clinical chart review by a physician, including blood work and radiology reports.