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. 2019 Apr 24;17:24–31. doi: 10.1016/j.ctro.2019.04.017

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics.

Characteristics No. of patients (%)
All patients (N = 205) 20 Gy EBRT (N = 63) 30 Gy EBRT (N = 77) 39 Gy EBRT (N = 65) P value
Gender
 Male 146 (71.2) 48 (76.2) 58 (75.3) 40 (61.5) 0.11
 Female 59 (28.8) 15 (23.8) 19 (24.7) 25 (38.5)



Age
 ≤70 90 (43.9) 33 (52.4) 40 (51.9) 17 (26.2) <0.01
 >70 115 (56.1) 30 (47.6) 37 (48.1) 48 (73.8)



KPS
 90–100 40 (19.5) 13 (20.6) 17 (22.1) 10 (15.4) 0.54
 60–80 140 (68.3) 40 (63.5) 52 (67.5) 48 (73.8)
 Unknown* 25 (12.2) 10 (15.9) 8 (10.4) 7 (10.8)



Comorbidity
 None to mild 93 (45.4) 28 (44.4) 40 (51.9) 25 (38.5) 0.27
 Moderate to severe 112 (54.6) 35 (55.6) 37 (48.1) 40 (61.5)



Current presentation
 Primary presentation 171 (83.4) 50 (79.4) 64 (83.1) 57 (87.7) 0.45
 Recurrent presentation 34 (16.6) 13 (20.6) 13 (16.9) 8 (12.3)



Symptoms at presentation**
 Dysphagia 184 (89.8) 59 (93.7) 73 (94.8) 52 (80.0)
 Pain 57 (27.8) 22 (34.9) 17 (22.1) 18 (27.7)
 Weight loss 149 (72.7) 53 (84.1) 53 (68.8) 43 (66.2)
 Hematemesis 5 (2.4) 3 (4.8) 0 (0) 2 (3.1)
 Other 53 (25.9) 15 (23.8) 22 (28.6) 16 (24.6)
 No symptoms 3 (1.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 3 (4.6)



Dysphagia score before treatment***
 0–1 77 (37.6) 21 (33.3) 26 (33.8) 30 (46.2) 0.25
 2–4 126 (61.4) 41 (65.1) 50 (64.9) 35 (53.8)
 Unknown* 2 (1.0) 1 (1.6) 1 (1.3) 0 (0)



Weight loss
 ≤6 kg 103 (50.2) 26 (41.3) 38 (49.4) 39 (60.0) 0.17
 >6 kg 89 (43.4) 33 (52.4) 33 (42.9) 23 (35.4)
 Unknown* 13 (6.3) 4 (6.3) 6 (7.8) 3 (4.6)



Tube feeding before treatment
 No 159 (77.6) 52 (82.5) 55 (71.4) 52 (80.0) 0.18
 Yes 44 (21.5) 11 (17.5) 22 (28.6) 11 (16.9)
 Unknown* 2 (1.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 2 (3.1)



Tumour length
 ≤6 cm 119 (58.0) 32 (50.8) 38 (49.4) 49 (75.4) <0.01
 >6 cm 85 (41.5) 31 (49.2) 38 (49.4) 16 (24.6)
 Unknown* 1 (0.5) 0 (0) 1 (1.3) 0 (0)



Tumour location
 High – middle 39 (19.0) 6 (9.5) 18 (23.4) 15 (23.1) 0.27
 Low – GEJ 142 (69.3) 46 (73.0) 51 (66.2) 45 (69.2)
 Anastomosis 10 (4.9) 4 (6.3) 4 (5.2) 2 (3.1)
 Unknown* 14 (6.8) 7 (11.1) 4 (5.2) 3 (4.6)



Histology
 Adenocarcinoma 120 (58.5) 40 (63.5) 48 (62.3) 32 (49.2) 0.03
 Squamous cell carcinoma 66 (32.2) 14 (22.2) 26 (33.8) 26 (40.0)
 Other 15 (7.3) 7 (11.1) 1 (1.3) 7 (10.8)
 Unknown* 4 (2.0) 2 (3.2) 2 (2.6) 0 (0)



T stage
 T0–T3 61 (29.8) 15 (23.8) 21 (27.3) 25 (38.5) 0.99
 T4 28 (13.7) 7 (11.1) 10 (13.0) 11 (16.9)
 Unknown* 116 (56.6) 41 (65.1) 46 (59.7) 29 (44.6)



N stage
 N0 31 (15.1) 4 (6.3) 5 (6.5) 22 (33.8) <0.01
 N+ 147 (71.7) 49 (77.8) 62 (80.5) 36 (55.4)
 Unknown* 27 (13.2) 10 (15.9) 10 (13.0) 7 (10.8)



M stage
 M0 69 (33.7) 7 (11.1) 15 (19.5) 47 (72.3) <0.01
 M1 125 (61.0) 51 (81.0) 61 (79.2) 13 (20.0)
 Unknown* 11 (5.4) 5 (7.9) 1 (1.3) 5 (7.7)

Abbreviations: EBRT, External beam radiotherapy; KPS, Karnofsky performance status; GEJ, Gastroesophageal junction.

*

The ‘unknown’ categories were not included in calculation of p values.

**

Total >100% due to possibility of having more than one symptom at presentation. Calculation p value not possible.

***

Dysphagia score as stated by Knyrim [23]: 0 = no dysphagia/able to eat normal diet, 1 = able to swallow some solid foods, 2 = able to swallow only semi solid foods, 3 = able to swallow liquids only, 4 = total dysphagia.