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Table 1 Radiation therapy at the end of life: within six months or fourteen days of death

From: Radiation therapy at the end of life: a population-based study examining palliative treatment intensity

 

All

6 Months

14 Days

 

n

n (%)

p value

n (%)

p value

Total

39,619

19856 (50)

 

5723 (14)

 

Sex

20,722

 

0.0183

 

<.0001

Female

10268 (50)

 

2834 (14)

 

Male

18,897

9588 (51)

 

2889 (15)

 

Race/ethnicity

30,904

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Non-Hispanic White

15106 (49)

 

4279 (14)

 

Non-Hispanic Black

4,791

2606 (54)

 

763 (16)

 

Hispanic

2,250

1268 (56)

 

399 (18)

 

Other

1,674

876 (52)

 

282 (17)

 

Race/ethnicity

30,904

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Non-Hispanic White

15106 (49)

 

4279 (14)

 

All others

8,715

4750 (55)

 

1444 (17)

 

Age at diagnosis

5,308

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Age 65 - 69

3328 (63)

 

1071 (20)

 

Age 70 - 74

6,154

3633 (59)

 

1065 (17)

 

Age 75 - 79

7,367

4027 (55)

 

1160 (16)

 

Age 80 - 84

8,599

4206 (49)

 

1138 (13)

 

85+

12,191

4662 (38)

 

1289 (11)

 

Charlson index

17,075

 

0.2403

 

0.0835

0

8628 (51)

 

2558 (15)

 

1

10,203

5048 (49)

 

1436 (14)

 

2 or more

12,341

6180 (50)

 

1729 (14)

 

Census region

17,246

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

West

8768 (51)

 

2597 (15)

 

South

15,733

7666 (49)

 

2129 (14)

 

North

4,082

2111 (52)

 

633 (16)

 

East

2,558

1311 (51)

 

364 (14)

 

Urban/rural

20,695

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Urban

10908 (53)

 

3312 (16)

 

Metro Urban

11,506

5666 (49)

 

1575 (14)

 

Rural

7,410

3279 (44)

 

835 (11)

 

Missing/unknown

8

3 (38)

 

1 (13)

 

Median income

19,689

 

0.0053

 

0.0107

Above median (43 K)

10017 (51)

 

2925 (15)

 

Below median (43 K)

19,686

9739 (49)

 

2772 (14)

 

Missing/ unknown

244

100 (41)

 

26 (11)

 

High school only

19,693

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Above median (28%)

9664 (49)

 

2707 (14)

 

Below median (28%)

19,694

10096 (51)

 

2992 (15)

 

Missing/unknown

232

96 (41)

 

24 (10)

 

Marital status

21,554

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Unmarried

10199 (47)

 

2796 (13)

 

Married

15,354

8357 (54)

 

2553 (17)

 

Missing/unknown

2,711

1300 (48)

 

374 (14)

 

Year of diagnosis

8,903

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

2004

4257 (48)

 

1207 (14)

 

2005

8,092

4009 (50)

 

1156 (14)

 

2006

7,312

3611 (49)

 

996 (14)

 

2007

6,239

3258 (52)

 

971 (16)

 

2008

5,194

2674 (51)

 

790 (15)

 

2009

3,879

2047 (53)

 

603 (16)

 

Cancer type

8,629

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Breast

4641 (54)

 

1292 (15)

 

Colorectal

21,469

10318 (48)

 

3039 (14)

 

Prostate

9,521

4897 (51)

 

1392 (15)

 

Stage

11,115

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

0-3

5907 (53)

 

1634 (15)

 

4

28,504

13949 (49)

<.0001

4089 (14)

<.0001

Cause of death

30,293

15740 (52)

 

4508 (15)

 

Cancer

    

Non Cancer

9,326

4116 (44)

 

1215 (13)

 

Time from diagnosis to death

17,006

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

0 days to 6 months

9323 (55)

 

3089 (18)

 

6 months to 1 year

6,065

2910 (48)

 

719 (12)

 

1 - 3 years

12,160

5623 (46)

 

1407 (12)

 

More than 3 years

4,388

2000 (46)

 

508 (12)

 

Prior radiation

13,303

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

No

6157 (46)

 

2036 (15)

 

Yes

26,316

13699 (52)

 

3687 (14)

 

Radiation Facility

19,763

    

No radiation

0 (0)

 

0 (0)

 

Hospital-based or Other

14,442

14442 (100)

 

4330 (30)

 

Freestanding

5,414

5414 (100)

 

1393 (26)

 

Surgery (last 6 months of life)

25,873

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

No

12681 (49)

 

3616 (14)

 

Yes

13,746

7175 (52)

 

2107 (15)

 

Chemotherapy

1,585

 

<.0001

 

<.0001

Last 14 days of life

1169 (74)

 

577 (36)

 

Last 6 months of life, but not last 14 days

10,999

7076 (64)

 

1655 (15)

 

None in last 6 months before death

4,203

1694 (40)

 

396 (9)

 

Never

22,832

9917 (43)

 

3095 (14)