Table 1.

Characteristics of patients aged 66+ diagnosed with colon–rectal cancer in 2000–2001; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare and Veneto–Tuscany Cancer Registry (VTCR)*

	Colorectal cases				Colon cases				Rectum cases
	SEER– Medicare (n = 18 438)		VTCR (n = 1396)		SEER–Medicare (n = 13 906)		VTCR (n = 987)		SEER– Medicare (n = 4532)		VTCR (n = 409)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Age at diagnosis
66–69	2736	15	247	18	1950	14	150	15	786	17	97	24
70–74	4190	23	367	26	3060	22	274	28	1130	25	93	23
75–79	4673	25	389	28	3524	25	273	28	1149	25	116	28
80–84	3640	20	210	15	2823	20	158	16	817	18	52	13
85+	3199	17	183	13	2549	18	132	13	650	14	51	12
Sex
Male	8238	45	753	54	5926	43	513	52	2312	51	240	59
Female	10 200	55	643	46	7980	57	474	48	2220	49	169	41
AJCC stage at diagnosis
I	5430	29	213	15	3672	26	126	13	1758	39	87	21
II	5905	32	463	33	4736	34	349	35	1169	26	114	28
III	4565	25	412	30	3532	25	301	30	1033	23	111	27
IV	2538	14	308	22	1966	14	211	21	572	13	97	24
ICD-O topography
Right side (C18.0–C18.4)	8443	46	469	34	8443	46	469	34	—	—	—	—
Left side (C18.5–C20.9)	9995	54	927	66	5463	30	518	37	4532	24	409	29
Charlson comorbidity score (hospital claims only)
0	15 819	86	1291	92	11 942	86	909	92	3877	86	382	93
1	1312	7	71	5	990	7	54	5	322	7	17	4
2+	1307	7	34	2	974	7	24	2	333	7	10	2
Number of hospital admissions in the one year prior to diagnosis
0	14 491	79	1093	78	10 746	77	767	78	3745	83	326	80
1	2634	14	216	15	2100	15	152	15	534	12	64	16
2	850	5	65	5	675	5	51	5	175	4	14	3
3+	463	3	22	2	385	3	17	2	78	2	5	1
Total number of hospital days in the one year prior to diagnosis
0	14 491	79	1093	78	10 746	77	767	78	3745	83	326	80
1 week (1–7 days)	2664	14	133	10	2130	15	96	10	534	12	37	9
2+ weeks (8+ days)	1283	7	170	12	1030	7	124	13	253	6	46	11
Mean days in hospital in the one year prior to diagnosis	1.7	—	3.4	—	1.8	—	3.5	—	1.3	—	3.0	—

* AJCC = American Joint Committee on Cancer; ICD-O = International Classification of Diseases for Oncology.