Table 1 Patient characteristics

Patients in each group (N)

38

145

Age (years, SD)

65.7 (13.8)

66.7 (10.5)

0.914^a)

Male (N, %)

19 (50.0)

96 (66.2)

0.089^b)

Duration of the hospital stay (day, SD)

43.8 (49.4)

38.0 (39.0)

0.668 ^a)

Primary sites (N)

 Stomach/colon, rectum

8

61

 Liver/bile duct/pancreas

2

40

 Kidney/ureter

11

14

 Lung

2

9

 Ovary/uterus

3

8

 Head and neck/

1

5

 Blood

3

3

 Breast

1

2

 Others

7

3

Bone metastases (N, %)

22 (57.9)

47 (32.4)

0.014 ^b)

Requested reasons for palliative care ^c) (N)

 Pain

35

128

 Difficulty breathing

1

13

 Malaise

2

6

 Nausea

0

2

 Others

0

4

PS (SD)

3.3 (0.6)

3.3 (0.7)

0.829 ^a)