Table 1.
Patient demographics
| Age, years | |||
| Mean (SD) | 68.6 (13.3) | ||
| Range | 16–100 | ||
|
| |||
| Sex | |||
| Male | 466 (49.1) | ||
| Female | 484 (50.9) | ||
| Total | 950 (100) | ||
|
| |||
| Site of primary cancer | Male, n (%) | Female, n (%) | N (%) |
| Lung or mesothelium | 101 (21.7) | 103 (21.3) | 204 (21.4) |
| Upper gastrointestinal | 104 (22.3) | 57 (11.8 | 161 (16.9) |
| Prostate and Urological | 109 (23.4) | 22 (4.6) | 131 (13.8) |
| Colorectal | 49 (10.5) | 63 (13.0) | 112 (11.8) |
| Breast | 0 (0) | 74 (15.3) | 74 (7.8) |
| Not known | 31 (6.7) | 37 (7.6) | 68 (7.2) |
| Gynaecological | 0 (0) | 67 (13.8) | 67 (7.1) |
| Haematological | 28 (6.0) | 24 (5.0) | 52 (5.5) |
| Brain | 16 (3.4) | 14 (2.9) | 30 (3.2) |
| Head and neck | 14 (3.0) | 9 (1.9) | 23 (2.4) |
| Melanoma | 7 (1.5) | 5 (1.0) | 12 (1.3) |
| Bone and soft tissue | 2 (0.4) | 6 (1.2) | 8 (0.8) |
| Other | 5 (1.1) | 3 (0.6) | 8(0.8) |
| Total | 466 (100) | 484 (100) | 950 (100) |
|
| |||
| Known metastatic disease | Male, n (%) | Female, n (%) | N (%) |
| Yes | 178 (38.2) | 184 (38.0) | 362 (38.1) |
| No | 2 (0.4) | 4 (0.8) | 6 (0.6) |
| No specific mention in notes | 286 (61.4) | 296 (61.2) | 582 (61.1) |
| Total | 466 (100) | 484 (100) | 950 (100) |
|
| |||
| Syringe driver in use | |||
| Yes | 40 (8.6) | 44 (9.1) | 84 (8.8) |
| No | 348 (74.7) | 342 (70.7) | 690 (72.6) |
| Not known | 78 (16.7) | 98 (20.2) | 176 (18.5) |
| Total | 466 (100) | 484 (100) | 950 (100) |
|
| |||
| Strong opiate already in use | |||
| Yes | 142 (30.5) | 154 (31.8) | 296 (31.2) |
| No | 88 (18.9) | 73 (15.1) | 161 (16.9) |
| Not known | 236 (50.6) | 257 (53.1) | 493 (51.9) |
| Total | 466 (100) | 484 (100) | 950 (100) |