Effectiveness and safety of chemotherapy for patients with malignant gastrointestinal obstruction: A Japanese population-based cohort study

Table 1 Patient characteristics

Variable	Chemotherapy (n = 470), n (%)	BSC (n = 652), n (%)	P value
Age
Young (age < 75 yr)	375 (79.8)	335 (51.4)	< 0.001
Elder (age ≥ 75 yr)	95 (20.2)	317 (48.6)
Sex
Male	284 (60.4)	363 (55.7)	0.112
Female	186 (39.6)	289 (44.3)
Charlson co-morbidity index score
< 3	175 (37.2)	343 (52.6)	< 0.001
≥ 3	295 (62.8)	309 (47.4)
Barthel index
≥ 60	422 (89.8)	436 (66.9)	< 0.001
< 60	27 (5.7)	153 (23.5)
Missing	21 (4.5)	63 (9.7)
Medication
Aspirin	18 (3.8)	33 (5.1)	0.329
Thienopyridine	7 (1.5)	24 (3.7)	0.027
Warfarin	8 (1.7)	20 (3.1)	0.148
DOACs	34 (7.2)	29 (4.4)	0.045
Other antiplatelet drugs	7 (1.5)	33 (5.1)	0.001
NSAIDs	293 (62.3)	314 (48.2)	< 0.001
Steroids	201 (42.8)	154 (23.6)	< 0.001
Cancer type
Esophageal cancer	24 (5.1)	83 (12.7)	< 0.001
Gastric cancer	151 (32.1)	113 (17.3)
Pancreatic cancer	69 (14.7)	106 (16.3)
Colorectal cancer	146 (31.1)	212 (32.5)
Other cancers	80 (17.0)	138 (21.2)
Cancer stage
Stage I-III	81 (17.2)	157 (24.1)	0.022
Stage IV or recurrence	297 (63.2)	379 (58.1)
Missing	92 (19.6)	116 (17.8)
Obstruction site
Esophageal obstruction	38 (8.1)	105 (16.1)	< 0.001
Gastroduodenal obstruction	189 (40.2)	233 (35.7)
Lower gastrointestinal obstruction	243 (51.7)	314 (48.2)
Chemotherapy before the intervention	274 (58.3)	413 (63.3)	0.087
Intervention type
Palliative surgery	294 (62.6)	283 (43.4)	< 0.001
SEMS placement	176 (37.4)	369 (56.6)

BSC: Best supportive care; DOACs: Direct oral anticoagulants; NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SEMS: Self-expandable metal stent.