Table 2 Characteristics of the patients (n = 268)

Age (years)

   Mean (SD)

62.4 (10.8)

Range

30.0-88.0

Sex

   Female

183

68.3

Marital status

   Married/living together

207

77.2

   Unknown

5

1.9

Educational level

   Elementary

103

38.4

   High school

116

43.3

   Higher Education/University

43

16.0

   Unknown

6

2.2

Diagnosis

   Prostate/Bladder

50

18.7

   Lung

21

7.8

   Breast

145

54.1

   Cervix/Endometrial

9

3.4

   Rectum

40

14.9

   Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

3

1.1

T-status (size of the primary tumor)

   Tin-situ

7

2.6

   T1/T2

152

56.7

   T3/T4

58

21.6

   Unknown

51

19.0

N-status (degree of spread lymph nodes)

   N0

141

52.6

   N1/N2

64

23.9

   N3/N4

5

1.9

   Unknown

58

21.6

M-status (presence of metastasis)

   M0

203

75.7

   Unknown

65

24.3

Karnofsky Performance Index^a

   100/90

194

72.4

   80/70

24

8.9

   Unknown

50

18.7

Chemo therapy

   Before radiotherapy treatment

66

24.6

   During radiotherapy treatment

25

9.3

Time frame between start and end of the

radiotherapy treatment (days)

   Mean (SD)

38 (6.7)

   Median

37

   Range

(16-65)