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Table 1 Characteristics of the study participants

From: Relevance of blood tumor markers in inpatients with significant involuntary weight loss and elevated levels of inflammation biomarkers

  

TM-positive group

(N = 76)

TM-negative group

(N = 59)

 
 

Total

(N = 135)

Cancer

(N = 41)

No cancer

(N = 35)

p*

Cancer

(N = 9)

No cancer

(N = 50)

p**

p***

Age (years), med [IQR]

74 [62.1–80.8]

75.9 [69.4–81.6]

70.6 [54.1–78.7]

0.20

73 [62.5–76.2]

73 [57.7–79.6]

0.92

0.39

Female, n (%)

57 (42.5)

21 (51.2)

13 (37.1)

0.43

2 (22.2)

21 (42.0)

0.40

0.62

BMI (kg/m2), med [IQR]

23.3 [20.1–27.0]

23.3 [20.3–26.8]

23.3 [20.1–27.0]

1

23.9 [21.0-26.5]

23.2 [20.1–27.0]

1

1

Weight loss (%), med [IQR]

8.9 [6.8–15.0]

9.4 [6.9–15.1]

9.5 [6.5–17.8]

0.86

9.3 [5.6–14.6]

8.6 [6.9–14.7]

0.43

0.75

Time interval (weeks), med [IQR]

8 [4–19]

8 [4–12]

11 [4–14]

NA

4 [4–16]

8 [–24]

NA

0.64

History of cancer, n/N (%)

        

Personal

19/135 (14.1)

9/41 (21.9)

4/35 (11.4)

0.35

2/9 (22.2)

4/50 (8.0)

NA

0.35

Family

72/118 (61.0)

19/35 (46.3)

26/32 (45.7)

0.63

4/8 (44.4)

23/43 (46.0)

1

1

Exposure, n/N (%)

        

Tobacco

80/132 (60.6)

22/39 (53.7)

23/35 (65.7)

0.23

6/9 (66.7)

29/49 (58.0)

0.96

1

Alcohol

33/118 (28.1)

12/34 (29.3)

8/33 (22.9)

0.47

1/8 (11.1)

12/43 (24.0)

NA

0.94

Suspicious clinical signs, n/N (%)

        

Asthenia

79/94 (84.0)

25/28 (61.0)

21/24 (60.0)

1

4/8 (44.4)

29/34 (58.0)

0.14

0.32

Fever

32/129 (24.8)

8/40 (19.5)

9/34 (25.7)

0.7

2/9 (22.2)

13/46 (26.0)

NA

0.73

Anorexia

58/86 (67.4)

23/28 (56.1)

15/21 (42.9)

0.59

4/9 (44.4)

16/28 (32.0)

0.78

0.041

Chronic pain

38/132 (28.8)

6/40 (14.6)

10/34 (28.6)

0.23

1/9 (11.1)

21/49 (42.0)

NA

0.09

Sweat

22/60 (36.7)

4/18 (9.8)

7/15 (20.0)

0.26

3/5 (33.3)

8/22 (16.0)

0.64

0.75

Lymph node

25/132 (18.9)

8/40 (19.5)

5/34 (14.3)

0.77

3/9 (33.3)

9/49 (18.0)

0.62

0.82

Mass

6/133 (4.5)

5/41 (12.2)

0/33

NA

1/9 (11.1)

0/50

NA

NA

Hepatomegaly

22/128 (17.2)

12/39 (29.3)

5/34 (14.3)

0.16

2/9 (22.2)

3/46 (6.0)

NA

0.045

Bleeding

7/129 (5.4)

3/40 (7.3)

1/33 (2.9)

NA

0/9

3/47 (6.0)

NA

NA

Thrombosis

7/135 (5.2)

2/41 (4.9)

1/35 (2.9)

NA

0/9

4/50 (8.0)

NA

NA

Specific organ signs

        

 ENT

8/135(6.0)

2/41 (4.9)

1/35 (2.9)

NA

0/9

5/50 (10.0)

NA

NA

 Digestive

61/135 (53.0)

25/41 (61.0)

11/35 (31.4)

0.01

5/9 (55.6)

20/50 (40.0)

0.84

0.69

 Pulmonary

39/135 (28.9)

11/41 (26.8)

13/35 (37.1)

0.47

5/9 (55.6)

10/50 (20.0)

0.42

0.55

 Cutaneous

14/135 (10.4)

4/41 (9.8)

6/35 (17.1)

0.55

2/9 (22.2)

2/50 (4.0)

NA

NA

 Neurologic

22/135 (16.3)

7/41 (17.1)

8/35 (22.9)

0.73

0/9

7/50 (14.0)

NA

0.31

 Rheumatologic

39/135 (28.9)

4/41 (9.8)

16/35 (45.7)

0.001

0/9

19/50 (38.0)

NA

0.58

Laboratory test results, n/N (%)

        

Hypercalcemia

10/135 (7.4)

5/41 (12.2)

0/35

NA

1/9 (11.1)

3/49 (6.1)

NA

0.89

Hyponatremia

27/135 (20.0)

10/41 (24.4)

4/35 (11.4)

0.23

2/9 (22.2)

11/48 (22.4)

NA

0.69

Renal insufficiency

30/135 (22.2)

12/41 (29.3)

10/35 (28.6)

1

2/9 (22.2)

6/48 (12.3)

NA

0.052

Liver function abnormalities

49/135 (36.3)

18/40 (43.9)

14/35 (40.0)

0.84

4/9 (44.4)

13/49 (26.5)

0.52

0.15

  1. Legends BMI: body mass index
  2. ENT: ear, nose and throat
  3. Med: median, NA: not applicable
  4. IQR: interquartile range
  5. SPE: serum protein electrophoresis
  6. TM: tumor marker
  7. * TM-positive patients with cancer vs. TM-positive patients without cancer
  8. ** TM-negative patients with cancer vs. TM-negative patients without cancer
  9. *** TM-positive patients vs. TM-negative patients