Table 1.

Patient characteristics

CovariateEarly-stage cancer (N= 1199)Advanced-stage cancer (N= 269)Overall (N= 1468)Stage missing (N= 745)
Age, years, mean (SD)73.7 (10.1)71.7 (10.1)73.3 (10.1)72.9 (11.1)
Sex, female, n (%)260 (21.7)87 (32.3)347 (23.6)189 (25.4)
Townsend quintile, mean (SD)2.7 (1.3)2.6 (1.3)2.7 (1.3)2.8 (1.3)
Number of conditions, n
  023951290167
  129273365202
  225758315170
  32004024098
  ≥421147258108
Alternative explanation, n (%)482 (40.2)134 (49.8)616 (42.0)275 (36.9)
Participants in each study period, n (%)
  2000–2003156 (84.8)a28 (15.2)a184 (12.5)b230 (30.9)b
  2004–2007322 (85.2)a56 (14.8)a378 (25.7)b316 (42.4)b
  2008–2011417 (80.2)a103 (19.8)a520 (35.4)b168 (22.6)b
  2012–2015304 (78.8)a82 (21.2)a386 (26.3)b31 (4.2)b
  Total1199 (81.7)a269 (18.3)a1468 (100)b745 (100)b
  • a Percentage calculated from total participants each study period.

  • b Percentage calculated from total number of symptomatic participants of entire study aged ≥40 years. SD = standard deviation.