Table 2 Characteristics of patients included in the study
Features | Â | Type of cancer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Breast | Lung | Colorectal | Ovarian | Prostate | |
(n = 36) | (n = 16) | (n = 7) | (n = 6) | (n = 4) | (n = 3) | |
General | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  Age at diagnosis, median (range) in years | 60 (46–86) | 52 (46–66) | 65 (55–74) | 60 (50–86) | 67 (59–79) | 75 (69–75) |
  Gender, n (%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   Male | 14 (39) | 0 | 6 (86) | 4 (66) | 0 | 3 (100) |
   Female | 23 (61) | 16 (100) | 1 (14) | 2 (33) | 4 (100) | 0 |
  Early/advanced disease, n (%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   Early | 17 (47) | 10 (63) | 2 (29) | 2 (33) | 3 (75) | 0 |
   Advanced | 19 (53) | 6 (38) | 5 (71) | 4 (66) | 1 (25) | 3 (100) |
  Survival, n (%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   Alive | 29 (81) | 15 (94) | 7 (100) | 4 (66) | 1 (25) | 2 (67) |
   Deceased | 8 (19) | 1 (8) | 0 | 2 (33) | 3 (75) | 1 (33) |
Clinical status | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  PSa, median (range) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   At diagnosis/prior to treatment | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–2) | 1 (0–3) | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–1) | 2 (1–3) |
   During treatment | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–2) | 1 (0–2) | 0 (0–3) | 0 (0–1) | 1 (1–1) |
Blood counts | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  WBCb (×103/μL), median (range) | 7.1 (4.0–24.9) | 7.1 (5.0–12.8) | 8.2 (5.2–24.9) | 5.8 (4.5–6.4) | 7.8 (6.1–9.5) | 7.2 (4.0–8.0) |
  Lymphocytes (×103/μL), median (range) | 1.5 (0.0–3.6) | 1.4 (0.0–2.6) | 2.1 (1.0–3.1) | 1.2 (0.9–1.4) | 1.8 (0.5–2.4) | 1.5 (1.2–1.9) |
  % Lymphocytes, mean ± SEc | 20.8 ±1.6 | 20.7 ± 3.6 | 24.6 ± 1.9 | 22.1 ± 2.2 | 23.2 ± 5.0 | 19.3 ± 3.4 |
Chemotherapy regime | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  Administration route, n (%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   Metronomic (oral) | 19 (53) | 5 (31) | 5 (71) | 6 (100) | - | 3 (100) |
   Standard (intravenous) | 17 (47) | 11 (69) | 2 (29) | - | 4 (100) | - |
  Drug target, n (%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
   Anti-mitotic (alkylating agents, vinca alkaloids) | 19 (53) | 11 (69) | 5 (72) | - | - | 3 (100) |
   Anti-DNA (alkylating agents, anti-metabolites) | 12 (33) | 5 (31) | 1 (14) | 6 (100) | - | - |
   Anti-mitotic/Anti-DNA (taxane/anthracycline, alkylating agent/taxane, alkylating agent/anti-microtubules agent) | 5 (14) | - | 1 (14) | - | 4 (100) | - |