Skip to main content
. 2014 Sep 4;111(9):1860–1869. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2014.478

Table 1. Characteristics of patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma compensated for occupational asbestos exposure in New South Wales, 2002–2009 (n=910), by patient characteristics.

  Number (value) %
Demographic characteristics
Sex
 Male 92 90
 Female 818 10
Median age at diagnosis (72 years of age)
Smoking status
 Never smoker 302 33
 Ex/current smoker 464 51
 Missing status 144 16
Asbestos exposure
 Median age at first exposure 18 years of age
 Median cumulative asbestos exposurea 24 years
Geographic location at the time of diagnosis
 Major city 605 67
 (Inner or outer) Regional 302 33
 Remote 3 <1
Clinical and pathological characteristics
ECOG status
 0 14 2
 ⩾1 776 85
 Missing 120 14
Calretinin expression
 Positive expression 681 75
 Negative expression 64 7
 Testing not performed 165 18
Clinical stage at diagnosisb
 Early stage disease (Stages X, I–II) 377 42
 Late stage disease (Stages III–IV) 404 44
 CT data not available 129 14
NLR
 <5 530 58
 ⩾5 316 35
 Missing 64 7
Haemoglobin (from baseline)
 <1g dl−1 211 23
 ⩾1g dl−1 637 70
 Missing 62 7
Platelets ( × 109 l−1)
 <400 613 67
 ⩾400 232 26
 Missing 65 7
Albumin
 ⩾35g dl−1 382 42
 <35g dl−1 281 31
 Missing 247 27
White cell count
 <8.3 394 43
 ⩾8.3 453 50
 Missing 63 7
Tumour characteristics
Histological subtype
 Epithelioid 545 60
 Biphasic 119 13
 Sarcomatoid 153 17
 Missing values 93 10
Treatment characteristics
Chemotherapy
 Received chemotherapy 375 41
 Received pemetrexed 344 38
 Did not receive chemotherapy 474 52
 Missing data 61 7
Surgery
 Underwent EPP 59 7
 Did not undergo EPP 851 93
 Missing 1 0
Radiotherapy
 Adjuvant radiotherapy performed 37 4
 Adjuvant radiotherapy not performed 803 88
 Missing 71 8
Outcome characteristics
Median overall survival 10.0 months
EORTC Prognostic Score  
 <3 305 34
 ⩾3 468 51
 Missing 137 15

Abbreviations: ECOG=Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; EORTC=European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer; EPP=extrapleural-pneumonectomy; NLR=neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio.

a

Estimated using data of a patients' first age at asbestos exposure and occupational history.

b

Categorised by clinical investigators on this study using CT scan data grouped by the AJCCC criteria.