The incidence of place of death in Greek patients with cancer in 1995 and 2005.
OBJECTIVE
To describe where (home or hospital) patients with cancer die in Greece, in 1995 and 2005.


METHODS
We used data from patients with cancer, who died in Greece in 1995 and 2005, and we studied the location changes of death in the 3 major geographical areas of Greece (Macedonia: North Greece, Central Greece, and Crete: South Greece).


RESULTS
In Central Greece and Crete, death incidences for 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80+ age groups decreased from 1995 to 2005. In Crete, in 1995, male and female death incidences for 80+ age group dying at home was higher than the corresponding one dying in hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
It seemed that in Greece, more cancer patients are dying in hospitals. Geographical and socioeconomic criteria might affect the place of death of a patient with cancer.
Department of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. mistakidou@yahoo.com
Kyriaki
K
Mystakidou
Efi
E
Parpa
Eleni
E
Tsilika
Irene
I
Panagiotou
Antonis
A
Galanos
Marinos
M
Tsiatas
Pavlos
P
Theodorakis
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult