Table 1.
Patients and tumour characteristics by period of initial diagnosis (1998–2016, n=4078)
| Period of initial diagnosis | 1998–2002 | 2003–2007 | 2008–2012 | 2013–2016 | Total | P value |
| n=623 | n=1009 | n=1412 | n=1034 | n=4078 | ||
| Prognostic factors | n (%)* | n (%)* | n (%)* | n (%)* | n (%)* | |
| Age (years) | ||||||
| Mean±SD | 67.1±10.6 | 68.1±10.4 | 68.9±10.1 | 69.1±10.3 | 68.5±10.3 | 0.0003 |
| Age in classes (years) | ||||||
| <50 | 36 (5.8) | 50 (5.0) | 52 (3.7) | 35 (3.4) | 173 (4.2) | 0.0006 |
| 50–59 | 102 (16.4) | 157 (15.6) | 200 (14.2) | 164 (15.9) | 623 (15.3) | |
| 60–69 | 238 (38.2) | 348 (34.5) | 450 (31.9) | 308 (29.8) | 1344 (33.0) | |
| 70–79 | 187 (30.0) | 332 (32.9) | 537 (38.0) | 391 (37.8) | 1447 (35.5) | |
| ≥80 | 60 (9.6) | 122 (12.1) | 173 (12.3) | 136 (13.2) | 491 (12.0) | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 476 (76.4) | 795 (78.8) | 1169 (82.8) | 816 (78.9) | 3256 (79.8) | 0.0038 |
| Female | 147 (23.6) | 214 (21.2) | 243 (17.2) | 218 (21.1) | 822 (20.2) | |
| c/p T-category† | ||||||
| T1 | 5 (2.2) | 99 (34.4) | 137 (36.8) | 120 (42.3) | 361 (31.0) | <0.0001 |
| T2 | 50 (22.1) | 55 (19.4) | 105 (28.2) | 82 (28.9) | 292 (25.1) | |
| T3 | 89 (39.4) | 82 (29.0) | 95 (25.5) | 61 (21.5) | 327 (28.1) | |
| T4 | 74 (32.7) | 34 (12.1) | 25 (6.7) | 17 (6.0) | 150 (12.9) | |
| TX | 8 (3.5) | 13 (4.6) | 10 (2.7) | 4 (1.4) | 35 (3.0) | |
| Not available | 397 (63.7) | 726 (72.0) | 1040 (73.7) | 750 (72.5) | 2913 (71.4) | |
| c/p N-category | ||||||
| N0 | 97 (43.5) | 131 (50.0) | 158 (47.0) | 120 (47.8) | 506 (47.2) | 0.6122 n.s. |
| N+ | 28 (12.6) | 32 (12.2) | 36 (10.7) | 36 (14.3) | 132 (12.3) | |
| NX | 98 (44.0) | 99 (37.8) | 142 (42.3) | 95 (37.9) | 434 (40.5) | |
| Not available | 400 (64.2) | 747 (74.0) | 1076 (81.1) | 783 (75.7) | 3006 (73.7) | |
| M-category (primary) | ||||||
| M1 | 80 (12.8) | 138 (13.7) | 179 (12.7) | 113 (10.9) | 510 (12.5) | 0.2936 n.s. |
| c/p UICC stage † | ||||||
| I | 3 (1.4) | 45 (16.5) | 55 (16.4) | 46 (19.3) | 149 (14.1) | <0.0001 |
| II | 20 (9.6) | 25 (9.2) | 40 (11.9) | 26 (10.9) | 111 (10.5) | |
| III | 42 (20.2) | 64 (23.5) | 54 (16.1) | 30 (12.6) | 190 (18.0) | |
| IV | 143 (68.8) | 138 (50.7) | 187 (55.7) | 136 (57.1) | 604 (57.3 | |
| Not available | 415 (66.6) | 737 (73.0) | 1076 (76.2) | 796 (76.9) | 3024 (74.2) | |
| Grade | ||||||
| G1 | 89 (26.8) | 146 (24.0) | 227 (27.5) | 164 (27.7) | 626 (26.6) | 0.0088 |
| G2 | 155 (46.7) | 317 (52.1) | 453 (54.8) | 312 (52.7) | 1237 (52.5) | |
| G3/4 | 88 (26.5) | 145 (23.9) | 146 (17.7) | 116 (19.6) | 495 (21.0) | |
| Not available | 291 (46.7) | 401 (39.7) | 586 (41.5) | 442 (42.7) | 1720 (42.2) |
*Missing values were excluded from calculations of frequency distribution, column percentage can differ slightly from 100% due to rounding.
†In consequence of a modification of T-category in 2002 many tumours were downstaged (eg, solitary tumours without vascular invasion are classified as T1 irrespective of size).
n.s., Not significant as defined by a level α set at 0.05; UICC, Union for International Cancer Control.