Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients treated with palliative radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer
All patients n (%) | Short-course radiotherapy 4 Gy × 5 n (%) | Long-course radiotherapy 3 Gy × 10–13 n (%) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
All patients | 128 | 75 (58.6) | 53 (41.4) | |
Age, years, median | 71 (IQR 64–80) | 69 (IQR 63–78) | 73 (IQR 67–81) | 0.082 |
Sex | 0.215 | |||
Male | 101 (78.9) | 62 (82.7) | 39 (73.6) | |
Female | 27 (21.1) | 13 (17.3) | 14 (26.4) | |
Histology | 0.087 | |||
Adenocarcinoma | 74 (57.8) | 47 (62.7) | 27 (50.9) | |
Squamous cell carcinoma | 50 (39.1) | 24 (32.0) | 26 (49.1) | |
Unspecified* | 4 (3.1) | 4 (5.3) | 0 (0) | |
Location of primary tumour | 0.547 | |||
Proximal | 19 (14.8) | 10 (13.3) | 9 (17.0) | |
Middle | 17 (13.3) | 8 (10.7) | 9 (17.0 | |
Distal | 88 (68.8) | 53 (70.7) | 35 (66.0) | |
Unspecified* | 4 (3.1) | 4 (5.3) | 0 (0) | |
T stage | 0.061 | |||
T1 | 2 (1.6) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.8) | |
T2 | 6 (4.7) | 1 (1.3) | 5 (9.4) | |
T3 | 35 (27.3) | 19 (25.3) | 16 (30.2) | |
T4 | 24 (18.8) | 16 (21.3) | 8 (15.1) | |
Unknown* | 61 (47.7) | 39 (52.0) | 22 (41.5) | |
N stage | 0.153 | |||
N0 | 9 (7.0) | 3 (4.0) | 6 (11.3) | |
N + | 89 (69.5) | 55 (73.3) | 34 (64.2) | |
Unknown* | 30 (23.4) | 17 (22.7) | 13 (24.5) | |
M stage | < 0.001 | |||
M0 | 49 (38.3) | 19 (25.3) | 30 (56.6) | |
M1 | 73 (57.0) | 52 (69.3) | 21 (39.6) | |
Unknown* | 6 (4.7) | 4 (5.3) | 2 (3.8) | |
Cancer presentation | 0.447 | |||
Primary disease | 121 (94.5) | 72 (96.0) | 49 (92.5) | |
Recurrent disease | 7 (5.5) | 3 (4.0) | 4 (7.6) | |
Indications for radiotherapy** | ||||
Dysphagia | 112 (87.5) | 69 (92.0) | 43 (81.1) | |
Tumour haemorrhage** | 27 (21.1) | 19 (25.3) | 8 (15.1) | |
Weight loss | 57 (44.5) | 35 (46.7) | 22 (41.5) | |
Pain | 28 (21.9) | 18 (24.0) | 10 (18.9) | |
Other | 17 (13.3) | 9 (12.0) | 8 (15.1) | |
Dysphagia grade according to CTCAE v5.0 | 0.022 | |||
0 | 17 (13.6) | 6 (8.2) | 11 (21.2) | |
1 | 18 (14.4) | 7 (9.6) | 11 (21.2) | |
2 | 47 (37.6) | 33 (45.2) | 14 (26.9) | |
3 | 43 (34.4) | 27 (37.0) | 16 (30.8) | |
Tube feeding | 0.740 | |||
Yes | 39 (30.5) | 22 (29.3) | 17 (32.1) | |
No | 89 (69.5) | 53 (70.7) | 36 (67.9) | |
Body mass index (kg/m2) | 0.191 | |||
< 20 | 27 (21.1) | 14 (18.7) | 13 (24.5) | |
20—24.9 | 42 (32.8) | 29 (38.7) | 13 (24.5) | |
≥ 25 | 30 (23.4) | 15 (20.0) | 15 (28.3) | |
Unknown* | 29 (22.7) | 17 (22.7) | 12 (22.6) | |
Charlson Comorbidity Index score | 0.323 | |||
0 | 57 (44.5) | 36 (48.0) | 21 (39.6) | |
≥ 1 | 68 (53.1) | 37 (49.3) | 31 (58.5) | |
Unknown* | 3 (2.3) | 2 (2.7) | 1 (1.9) | |
Oesophageal stent | 40 (31.3) | 22 (29.3) | 18 (34.0) | 0.578 |
Chemotherapy before the EBRT | 25 (19.5) | 17 (22.7) | 8 (15.1) | 0.287 |