Table 1

Baseline characteristics and quality of follow up in the two groups 1980–2005


Turkish descent
N (%)
Not Turkish
N (%)

Number of cases
1774
35,485

     male sex
1042 (58.7)
19,822 (55.9)

Age at diagnosis


     <1 year
167 (9.4)
3555 (10.0)
     1–<5 years
682 (38.4)
12,914 (36.4)
     5–<10 years
503 (28.4)
9516 (26.8)
     10–<15 years
422 (23.8)
9500 (26.8)

Year of diagnosis


     1980–87
369 (20.8)
7576 (21.4)
     1988–95
477 (26.9)
11,366 (32.0)
     1996–2005
928 (52.3)
16,543 (46.6)

Median length of follow-up of patients still alive (range) in years
7.1 (0–28)
8.4 (0–28)

Deaths by 31.12.2006
456 (25.7)
8737 (24.6)

Follow-up by period of diagnosis



1980–1995


     Alive, at least 10 years f/u
507 (92.0)
12,613 (96.7)
     Alive, lost to f/u
93 (16.9)
910 (7.0)

1980–2000


     Alive, at least 5 years f/u
879 (95.8)
19,549 (98.5)
     Alive, lost to f/u
116 (12.6)
1104 (5.6)

1996–2000


     Alive, at least 5 years f/u
357 (97.3)
6725 (98.8)
     Alive, lost to f/u
23 (6.3)
194 (2.9)

N = number, f/u = follow-up

Spix et al. BMC Cancer 2008 8:355   doi:10.1186/1471-2407-8-355