Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristic in patients with and without cancer, P-value representing a test for difference

From: Characteristics and outcome in patients with non-specific symptoms and signs of cancer referred to a fast track cancer patient pathway; a retrospective cohort study

Variable

All

Cancera

No-cancera

P-value

% (N)

100 (825)

16.7 (138)

83.3 (687)

 

Referred by

 General practice

75.4 (605)

74.6 (97)

75.6 (508)

0.851

 Hospital department

20.1 (161)

21.5 (28)

19.8 (133)

 

 Other

4.5 (36)

3.8 (5)

4.6 (31)

 

Gender

 Male

47.4 (391)

44.2 (61)

48.0 (330)

0.411

Age

 median (IQR)

67 (55–75)

69 (62–76)

67 (53–74)

0.003

Groups

 18–39 years

7.5 (62)

3.6 (5)

8.3 (57)

0.050

 40–54 years

17.1 (141)

10.9 (15)

18.3 (126)

 

 55–69 years

33.0 (272)

36.2 (50)

32.3 (222)

 

 70–79 years

31.0 (256)

36.2 (50)

30.0 (206)

 

  ≥ 80 years

11.4 (94)

13.0 (18)

11.1 (76)

 

Body mass index

 median (IQR)

24.3 (21.7–28.0)

23.4 (21.9–26.8)

24.5 (21.7–28.1)

0.317

Smoking status

 Never

34.2 (271)

29.6 (40)

35.1 (231)

0.222

 Former/current

65.8 (522)

70.4 (95)

64.9 (427)

 

 Package years median (IQR)b

25 (15–40)

30 (14–40)

25 (15–40)

0.818

Alcohol consumption per week

 Units per week, median (IQR)c

5 (0–14)

7 (0–14)

4 (0–14)

0.378

 Alcohol consumption above recommendationsd

9.5(69)

11.3 (13)

9.1 (56)

0.466

Chronic diseases at first visit

 Lung disease

13.3 (110)

10.1 (14)

14.0 (96)

0.227

 Cardiovascular diseases

15.6 (129)

11.6 (16)

16.4 (113)

0.152

 Cerebrovascular diseases

10.8 (89)

12.3 (17)

10.5 (72)

0.525

 Diabetes

11.6 (96)

8.7 (12)

12.2 (84)

0.238

 Inflammatory diseases

11.9 (98)

7.2 (10)

12.8 (88)

0.065

 Renal failure

4.1 (34)

2.2 (3)

4.5 (31)

0.207

 Peptic ulcer

3.2 (26)

3.6 (5)

3.1 (21)

0.788

 Cirrhosis

0.4 (3)

0.7 (1)

0.3 (2)

0.423

 Dementia

1.8 (15)

0

2.2 (15)

0.152

 Previously diagnosed cancer

12.2 (101)

21.7 (30)

10.3 (71)

<0.001

Number of chronic diseases

 0

46.3 (382)

44.9 (62)

46.6 (320)

0.054

 1–2

46.3(382)

52.2 (72)

45.1 (310)

 

  ≥ 3

7.4 (61)

2.9 (4)

8.3 (57)

 
  1. Data presented as percentages (counts) unless otherwise indicated. Chi square-test or Fishers exact test for 2 × 2 tables, Students T-test for normally distributed data, otherwise Wilcoxon’s Rank Sum Test. aCancer or no-cancer within one year after ended investigational course. bIn current or former smokers only. cOne unit = 15 ml of alcohol. dRecommendations = national guidelines. Less than 5% missing values in every variable except for Body Mass Index (32.5%), Package years (12.8%) and alcohol consumption (11.8%)
Back to article page

BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

Contact us