Table 1.
Demographic and Personal Characteristics of Patients With GI Cancer and Their Caregivers.
| Characteristics | Patients (N = 27) | Caregivers (N = 27) |
|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | |
| Gender | ||
| Female | 11 (41) | 16 (59) |
| Male | 16 (59) | 11 (41) |
| Age | ||
| 35–54 years | 1 (4) | 4 (15) |
| 55 or older | 26 (96) | 23 (85) |
| Race | ||
| White | 23 (85) | 22 (81) |
| Black | 4 (15) | 4 (15) |
| Asian | 0 (0) | 1 (4) |
| Ethnicity Latinx Descent (Yes) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Marital status | ||
| Never married | 0 (0) | 1 (4) |
| Married | 25 (93) | 26 (96) |
| Widowed | 2 (7) | 0 (0) |
| Education | ||
| High school graduate or GED | 7 (26) | 5 (18) |
| Some college | 7 (26) | 4 (15) |
| College graduate | 9 (33) | 11 (41) |
| Graduate school | 4 (15) | 7 (26) |
| Employment | ||
| Full-time paid work | 5 (19) | 5 (19) |
| Part-time paid work | 3 (11) | 2 (7) |
| Homemaker | 0 (0) | 2 (7) |
| Unemployed | 1 (4) | 2 (7) |
| Receiving disability | 2 (7) | 1 (4) |
| Retired | 16 (59) | 14 (52) |
| Other | 0 (0) | 1 (4) |
| Insurance status | ||
| Private insurance | 10 (37) | 9 (33) |
| HMO | 4 (15) | 3 (11) |
| Medicaid | 2 (7) | 0 (0) |
| Medicare | 11 (41) | 15 (56) |
| Additional medical condition | ||
| Hypertension | 17 (63) | 13 (48) |
| Diabetes | 6 (22) | 3 (11) |
| Heart disease | 0 (0) | 5 (19) |
| Stroke | 3 (11) | 1 (4) |
| Arthritis | 11 (41) | 11 (41) |
| Cancer | 27 (100) | 5 (19) |
| Adequate financial resources in past 30 days (Yes) | 27 (100) | 25 (93) |
| Dyad relationship | ||
| Spousal | 25 (93) | 25 (93) |
| Familial (parent/child) | 2 (7) | 2 (7) |
| Days per week providing care (mean ± SD) | – | 6.7 ± .95 |
| Hours per day providing care (mean ± SD) | – | 7.4 ± 7.87 |
| Cancer diagnosis | ||
| Colon or rectal | 4 (15) | — |
| Pancreatic | 15 (56) | |
| Esophageal | 4 (15) | |
| Gallbladder | 2 (7) | |
| Other (gastrointestinal or intestinal malignancies) | 2 (7) | |
| Stage | ||
| I | 2 (7) | — |
| II (incudes A & B) | 8 (30) | |
| III | 8 (30) | |
| IV | 9 (33) | |
| Side effects experienced (“quite often” or “very often”) | ||
| Fatigue | 14 (45) | — |
| Reduced appetite | 11 (36) | |
| Nausea | 9 (29) | |
| Constipation | 9 (29) | |
| Dry mouth | 8 (26) | |
| Diarrhea | 8 (26) | |
| Trouble swallowing | 4 (13) | |
| Chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAS) score a | 8.5 (IQR 5.9) | — |
aThe overall CiTAS score ranges from 4 (no taste alteration) to 20 (maximum severity of taste alteration); score is displayed as median (Interquartile Range).