Table 2.

Prevalence of prescriptions and polypharmacy by gender, cancer type and according to age group at cancer diagnosis in 261,745 cancer patients diagnosed in the period 2005–2015, Denmark.

	Age < 55 years at cancer diagnosis						Age 55–69 years at cancer diagnosis						Age ≥70 years at cancer diagnosis
	Number		Prescriptions		Polypharmacy		Number		Prescriptions		Polypharmacy		Number		Prescriptions		Polypharmacy
	N	%	Median	IQR	%	95% CI	N	%	Median	IQR	%	95% CI	N	%	Median	IQR	%	95% CI
Total	42,139		1	0–2	9	8–9	106,606		2	0–5	25	24–26	113,000		4	2–7	46	46–47
Sex
Male	12,799	30	0	0–2	9	8–9	55,381	52	2	0–4	24	24–25	61,162	54	4	2–6	42	42–43
Female	29,340	70	1	0–2	8	8–9	51,225	48	2	1–5	26	25–26	51,838	46	5	2–8	51	51–52
Cancer site
Breast	13,260	31	1	0–2	7	7–8	20,728	19	2	0–4	23	22–24	13,274	12	4	2–7	49	48–50
Lung	3517	8	1	0–4	18	17–20	16,690	16	3	1–6	35	34–35	19,608	17	5	2–8	54	54–55
Prostate	1392	3	1	0–2	7	6–9	19,680	18	2	0–4	20	20–21	21,238	19	3	1–6	37	36–38
Colon	2362	6	1	0–2	9	8–10	9174	9	2	0–4	24	23–25	15,489	14	4	2–7	46	45–47
Rectum	1675	4	0	0–2	7	6–9	6025	6	1	0–4	19	18–20	6917	6	4	1–6	40	39–41
Oesophagus	453	1	1	0–3	13	10–16	1944	2	2	1–5	29	27–31	1866	2	4	2–7	50	48–52
Stomach	688	2	1	0–2	10	8–12	2023	2	2	1–5	28	26–30	2467	2	4	2–7	48	46–50
Oropharynx	237	1	1	0–3	18	14–24	568	1	2	0–5	26	22–30	168	0.1	4	1–7.5	42	34–49
Liver	353	1	2	0–4	25	20–29	1455	1	4	1–7	42	39–44	1502	1	5	3–8	58	56–61
Pancreas	790	2	1	0–3	14	11–16	3444	3	3	1–5.5	33	31–34	4485	4	5	2–8	51	50–53
Bladder	461	1	1	0–3	15	12–19	2750	2	2	1–5	27	26–29	4923	4	4	2–7	47	45–48
Kidney	1234	3	1	0–3	16	14–18	2903	3	3	1–6	36	34–38	2415	2	5	3–8	54	52–56
Uterus	916	2	1	0–3	15	12–17	3357	3	2	1–4	24	22–25	2880	3	4	2–7	50	48–52
Cervix	2393	6	1	0–2	5	4–6	774	1	1	0–4	21	18–24	622	1	4	2–7	43	39–47
Ovary	1020	2	1	0–2	8	6–10	2019	2	2	0–4	20	19–22	1957	2	4	2–7	45	42–47
Malignant melanoma	7990	19	0	0–1	4	4–5	6049	6	2	0–4	18	17–19	4968	4	4	2–7	44	43–45
Brain + CNS	1252	3	0	0–2	6	5–8	1742	1	1	0–4	20	18–22	1367	1	4	1–7	42	39–44
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	555	1	1	0–2	8	6–11	1165	1	2	0–5	26	24–29	1410	1	4	2–7	46	43–48
Leukaemia	1591	4	1	0–2	8	7–10	4116	4	2	0–4	25	24–26	5444	5	4	2–7	47	46–48

IQR interquartile range, CI confidence interval.

Polypharmacy: ≥5 prescriptions within 1 year before diagnosis and at least two prescriptions. P1: test probability Kruskal–Wallis test. P2: probability chi² test.