Introduction
Methods
Data source
Study participants
Research variables
Statistical analysis
Results
Study participants and their survival rates
Characteristics | Patients surviving at least 180 days | Patients passing away within 180 days |
p value for χ
2 test | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
n
| % |
n
| % | ||
Gender |
p < 0.001 | ||||
Male | 15,641 | 46.03 | 4534 | 73.68 | |
Female | 13,342 | 53.97 | 1620 | 26.32 | |
Age at cancer diagnosis (in years) |
p < 0.001 | ||||
<35 | 1048 | 3.62 | 106 | 1.72 | |
35–44 | 4047 | 13.96 | 408 | 6.63 | |
45–54 | 7141 | 24.64 | 914 | 14.85 | |
55–64 | 6243 | 21.54 | 1089 | 17.70 | |
65–74 | 6149 | 21.22 | 1558 | 25.32 | |
75–84 | 3816 | 13.17 | 1636 | 26.58 | |
≥85 | 539 | 1.86 | 443 | 7.20 | |
Region of the NHI registration location at cancer diagnosis |
p < 0.001 | ||||
Taipei region | 9902 | 34.16 | 1843 | 29.95 | |
Northern region | 3616 | 12.48 | 744 | 12.09 | |
Central | 4917 | 16.97 | 1057 | 17.18 | |
Southern | 4921 | 16.98 | 1201 | 19.52 | |
The farthest South (two counties) | 4851 | 16.74 | 1102 | 17.91 | |
Eastern | 776 | 2.68 | 207 | 3.36 | |
Urbanization level of the NHI registration location at cancer diagnosis |
p < 0.001 | ||||
Big city | 14,391 | 49.65 | 2718 | 44.17 | |
Small city or town | 9997 | 34.49 | 2212 | 35.94 | |
Remote or rural area | 4595 | 15.85 | 1224 | 19.89 | |
Occupation type in the NHI registry at cancer diagnosis |
p < 0.001 | ||||
Government employee or teacher | 1581 | 5.45 | 271 | 4.4 | |
NHI registration through employers of other types | 9153 | 31.58 | 1525 | 24.78 | |
NHI registration through labor unions | 5445 | 18.79 | 892 | 14.49 | |
Veterans or their dependents | 252 | 0.87 | 62 | 1.01 | |
Family dependents with no jobs | 294 | 1.01 | 92 | 1.49 | |
NHI registration through local governments | 5349 | 18.46 | 1342 | 21.81 | |
Members of families in poverty/residents in religious or charitable institutions | 175 | 0.60 | 64 | 1.04 | |
NHI registration through farmers/fishermen/crewmen unions | 6734 | 23.23 | 1906 | 30.97 | |
Salary class in the NHI registry at cancer diagnosis |
p < 0.001 | ||||
The bottom tertile of the population | 12,460 | 42.99 | 3096 | 50.31 | |
The middle tertile | 10,694 | 36.90 | 2414 | 39.23 | |
The top tertile | 5829 | 20.11 | 644 | 10.46 | |
Comorbidity at cancer diagnosis | |||||
Diabetes |
p < 0.001 | ||||
No | 25,839 | 89.15 | 5282 | 85.83 | |
Yes | 3144 | 10.85 | 872 | 14.17 | |
Hypertension |
p < 0.001 | ||||
No | 22,362 | 77.15 | 4522 | 73.48 | |
Yes | 6623 | 22.85 | 1632 | 26.52 | |
Ischemic heart disease |
p < 0.001 | ||||
No | 27,442 | 94.68 | 5649 | 91.79 | |
Yes | 1541 | 5.32 | 505 | 8.21 | |
Comorbidity at cancer diagnosis | |||||
Cerebrovascular accident |
p < 0.001 | ||||
No | 27,904 | 96.28 | 5686 | 92.40 | |
Yes | 1079 | 3.72 | 468 | 7.60 | |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
p < 0.001 | ||||
No | 27,892 | 96.24 | 5602 | 91.03 | |
Yes | 1091 | 3.76 | 552 | 8.97 | |
Chronic liver disease/cirrhosis |
p < 0.001 | ||||
No | 25,440 | 87.78 | 4423 | 71.87 | |
Yes | 3543 | 12.22 | 1731 | 28.13 | |
Cancer type |
p < 0.001 | ||||
Malignant neoplasm of rectum and rectosigmoid colon | 6459 | 22.29 | 646 | 10.50 | |
Malignant neoplasm of breast | 5503 | 18.99 | 93 | 1.51 | |
Malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts | 3107 | 10.72 | 2296 | 37.31 | |
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung | 3072 | 10.60 | 1896 | 30.81 | |
Malignant neoplasm of lip, oral cavity, and pharynx | 4103 | 14.16 | 373 | 6.06 | |
Malignant neoplasm of stomach | 1698 | 5.86 | 641 | 10.42 | |
Malignant neoplasm of prostate | 1945 | 6.71 | 83 | 1.35 | |
Malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri | 1611 | 5.56 | 59 | 0.96 | |
Malignant melanoma of skin | 838 | 2.89 | 35 | 0.57 | |
Malignant neoplasm of body of uterus | 647 | 2.23 | 32 | 0.52 |
180-day survival rate | 1-year survival rate | 1.5-year survival rate | 2-year survival rate | 2.5-year survival rate | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cancer type | (n) at diagnosis | % (n) | % (n) | % (n) | % (n) | % (n) |
Male | ||||||
Colon | (n = 4296) | 91.2 (3919) | 85.7 (3682) | 81.0 (3481) | 76.8 (3299) | 72.7 (3125) |
Liver | (n = 4229) | 56.1 (2372) | 47.5 (2007) | 42.0 (1778) | 38.6 (1633) | 35.1 (1485) |
Oral | (n = 4188) | 91.7 (3839) | 80.2 (3357) | 70.9 (2968) | 66.2 (2771) | 63.4 (2657) |
Lung | (n = 3366) | 57.8 (1946) | 40.3 (1358) | 29.5 (992) | 22.9 (771) | 18.3 (617) |
Prostate | (n = 2028) | 95.9 (1945) | 92.7 (1880) | 88.5 (1794) | 84.8 (1720) | 80.6 (1635) |
Stomach | (n = 1548) | 73.1 (1131) | 62.0 (960) | 54.3 (841) | 49.0 (759) | 45.9 (710) |
Skin | (n = 513) | 94.0 (482) | 89.3 (458) | 85.0 (436) | 81.9 (420) | 80.1 (411) |
Female | ||||||
Breast | (n = 5589) | 98.3 (5496) | 97.1 (5427) | 95.6 (5344) | 93.9 (5246) | 92.3 (5156) |
Colon | (n = 2809) | 90.4 (2540) | 85.7 (2407) | 81.1 (2279) | 76.6 (2151) | 72.9 (2049) |
Cervical | (n = 1670) | 96.5 (1611) | 92.0 (1537) | 88.1 (1471) | 84.9 (1417) | 82.6 (1379) |
Lung | (n = 1602) | 70.3 (1126) | 56.2 (901) | 44.9 (720) | 37.2 (596) | 30.6 (491) |
Liver | (n = 1174) | 62.6 (735) | 53.8 (632) | 48.9 (574) | 44.5 (522) | 40.3 (473) |
Stomach | (n = 791) | 71.7 (567) | 59.4 (470) | 51.1 (404) | 46.4 (367) | 43.9 (347) |
Uterus | (n = 679) | 95.3 (647) | 92.6 (629) | 90.0 (611) | 88.1 (598) | 86.5 (587) |
Skin | (n = 360) | 98.9 (356) | 96.4 (347) | 93.1 (335) | 91.4 (329) | 89.4 (322) |
Oral | (n = 288) | 91.7 (264) | 80.9 (233) | 73.3 (211) | 69.8 (201) | 68.1 (196) |
Proportions of cancer patients who regularly used psychotropic medications
Factors associated with regular use of psychotropic medication in the first 180-day period after diagnosis
Explanatory variables | OR | 95 % CI | |
---|---|---|---|
The type of cancer at diagnosisa (reference: skin cancer) | |||
Colon cancer | 1.322 | 0.999–1.748 | |
Liver cancer | 1.243 | 0.931–1.659 | |
Oral cancer | 2.789 | *** | 2.100–3.705 |
Lung cancer | 2.666 | *** | 2.001–3.551 |
Prostate cancer | 2.521 | *** | 1.908–3.329 |
Stomach cancer | 1.429 | * | 1.050–1.944 |
Age in years (reference <35) | |||
35–44 | 1.063 | 0.815–1.387 | |
45–54 | 1.083 | 0.840–1.398 | |
55–64 | 1.112 | 0.859–1.439 | |
65–74 | 1.096 | 0.843–1.426 | |
75–84 | 0.850 | 0.645–1.120 | |
≧85 | 0.837 | 0.571–1.227 | |
Region of the NHI registration location at the onset of cancer (reference: East) | |||
Taipei region | 0.811 | 0.647–1.017 | |
North except Taipei | 0.686 | ** | 0.542–0.867 |
Central | 0.822 | 0.657–1.028 | |
South | 0.667 | *** | 0.532–0.836 |
The farthest south (Kaohsiung and Ping-Tung) | 0.590 | *** | 0.468–0.742 |
Urbanization level of the NHI registration location at the onset of cancer (reference: remote or rural area) | |||
Big city | 0.825 | ** | 0.724–0.940 |
Small city or town | 0.919 | 0.818–1.033 | |
Occupation type in the NHI registry at the onset of cancer (reference: NHI registration through farmers/fishermen/crewmen unions) | |||
Government employee or teacher | 0.938 | 0.747–1.178 | |
NHI registration through employers of other types | 0.984 | 0.839–1.154 | |
NHI registration through labor unions | 1.112 | 0.959–1.290 | |
Veterans or their dependents | 0.953 | 0.641–1.416 | |
Family dependents with no jobs | 1.256 | 0.833–1.894 | |
NHI registration through local governments | 1.007 | 0.840–1.207 | |
Members of families in poverty/residents in religious or charitable institutions | 1.152 | 0.714–1.858 | |
Salary class in the NHI registry at the onset of cancer (reference: the bottom tertile of the population) | |||
The middle tertile | 0.959 | 0.835–1.102 | |
The top tertile | 0.910 | 0.799–1.037 | |
Comorbidity (reference: none) | |||
Some comorbidity | 1.116 | ** | 1.027–1.212 |
No. of observations | 15,634 | ||
Breast cancer | 1.260 | 0.917–1.733 | |
Colon cancer | 1.283 | 0.929–1.773 | |
Cervical cancer | 1.644 | ** | 1.181–2.288 |
Lung cancer | 2.592 | *** | 1.859–3.614 |
Liver cancer | 1.530 | * | 1.070–2.188 |
Stomach cancer | 1.448 | 0.999–2.099 | |
Uterus cancer | 1.263 | 0.870–1.834 | |
Oral cancer | 2.049 | ** | 1.353–3.103 |
Age in years (reference <35) | |||
35–44 | 1.486 | ** | 1.130–1.954 |
45–54 | 1.826 | *** | 1.401–2.381 |
55–64 | 1.768 | *** | 1.347–2.322 |
65–74 | 1.623 | ** | 1.223–2.152 |
75–84 | 1.402 | * | 1.034–1.899 |
≧85 | 1.722 | * | 1.115–2.660 |
Region of the NHI registration location at the onset of cancer (reference: East) | |||
Taipei region | 1.078 | 0.804–1.445 | |
North except Taipei | 0.781 | 0.575–1.061 | |
Central | 0.927 | 0.690–1.246 | |
South | 0.938 | 0.698–1.262 | |
The farthest south (Kaohsiung and Ping-Tung) | 0.912 | 0.676–1.230 | |
Urbanization level of the NHI registration location at the onset of cancer (reference: remote or rural area) | |||
Big city | 0.897 | 0.761–1.057 | |
Small city or town | 0.965 | 0.830–1.121 | |
Occupation type in the NHI registry at the onset of cancer (reference: NHI registration through farmers/fishermen/crewmen unions) | |||
Government employee or teacher | 0.746 | * | 0.580–0.960 |
NHI registration through employers of other types | 0.835 | * | 0.701–0.994 |
NHI registration through labor unions | 0.864 | 0.729–1.024 | |
Veterans or their dependents | 0.798 | 0.418–1.525 | |
Family dependents with no jobs | 1.231 | 0.826–1.835 | |
NHI registration through local governments | 0.814 | * | 0.663–0.998 |
Members of families in poverty/residents in religious or charitable institutions | 0.948 | 0.534–1.682 | |
Salary class in the NHI registry at the onset of cancer (reference: bottom tertile of the population) | |||
The middle tertile | 0.880 | 0.765–1.012 | |
The top tertile | 0.874 | 0.758–1.008 | |
Comorbidity (reference: none) | |||
Some comorbidity | 1.002 | 0.903–1.111 | |
No. of observations | 13,342 | ||
Log-likelihood ratio test statistic for model significance | Wald χ
2 (31) = 191.35*** |
Long-term patterns of use of medication by cancer patients who survived at least 2.5 years after diagnosis
Male patients’ major cancer types | Colon (n = 3125) | Oral (n = 2657) | Prostate (n = 1635) | Liver (n = 1485) | Stomach (n = 710) | Lung (n = 617) | Skin (n = 411) |
P value for χ
2 test | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular use for all the five 180-day periods | 3.17 (n = 99) | 5.12 (n = 136) |
7.58 (n = 124) | 4.11 (n = 61) | 3.94 (n = 28) |
6.48 (n = 40) | 1.95 (n = 8) | 297.357* | |
No period with regular use | 59.94 (n = 1873) | 53.07 (n = 1410) | 41.47 (n = 678) | 55.42 (n = 823) | 60.56 (n = 430) | 46.19 (n = 285) | 64.48 (n = 265) | ||
Regular use in earlier periods | 6.88 (n = 215) |
12.16 (n = 323) |
11.80 (n = 193) | 5.12 (n = 76) | 7.32 (n = 52) |
10.70 (n = 66) | 6.81 (n = 28) | ||
Regular use in later periods | 7.30 (n = 228) | 5.83 (n = 155) |
8.69 (n = 142) | 7.88 (n = 117) | 6.90 (n = 49) | 7.78 (n = 48) | 7.79 (n = 32) | ||
Sporadic regular use or non-regular use | 22.72 (n = 710) | 23.82 (n = 633) | 30.46 (n = 498) | 27.47 (n = 408) | 21.27 (n = 151) | 28.85 (n = 178) | 18.98 (n = 78) | ||
Female patients’ major cancer types
|
Breast (
n = 5156)
|
Colon (
n = 2049)
|
Cervical (
n = 1379)
|
Uterus (
n = 587)
|
Lung (
n = 491)
|
Liver (
n = 473)
|
Stomach (
n = 347)
|
Skin (
n = 322)
|
P
value for
χ
2
test
|
Regular use for all the five 180-day periods | 3.49 (n = 180) | 4.05 (n = 83) | 3.48 (n = 48) | 3.24 (n = 19) |
7.13 (n = 35) | 5.29 (n = 25) | 4.03 (n = 14) | 1.86 (n = 6) | 139.80* |
No period with regular use | 61.17 (n = 3154) | 55.54 (n = 1138) | 55.98 (n = 772) | 61.67 (n = 362) | 41.55 (n = 204) | 50.74 (n = 240) | 55.04 (n = 191) | 60.87 (n = 196) | |
Regular use in earlier periods | 8.13 (n = 419) | 6.64 (n = 136) |
9.57 (n = 132) | 7.16 (n = 42) |
9.78 (n = 48) | 6.77 (n = 32) | 8.36 (n = 29) | 5.59 (n = 18) | |
Regular use in later periods | 5.59 (n = 288) | 7.71 (n = 158) | 5.95 (n = 82) | 6.30 (n = 37) | 7.33 (n = 36) |
8.46 (n = 40) | 7.49 (n = 26) | 7.76 (n = 25) | |
Sporadic regular use or non-regular use | 21.63 (n = 1115) | 26.06 (n = 534) | 25.02 (n = 345) | 21.64 (n = 127) | 34.22 (n = 168) | 28.75 (n = 136) | 25.07 (n = 87) | 23.91 (n = 77) |