TABLE 1a.
Characteristics of the Study Population of Patients with Advanced Cancer
| Attribute | Total Sample N (%) | Patients with Dependent Children | Patients without Dependent Children | Comparative Test (t or X2) p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases | 668 | 135(20) | 533 (80) | |
| Women no. (%) | 316(47) | 73 (54)) | 243 (46 | 0.08 |
| Race/ethnicity, N (%) | 0.007 a | |||
| White, | 478 (72) | 86 (64) | 392 (74) | |
| non- Hispanic | ||||
| Black, | 94 (14) | 74 (14) | 20(15) | |
| non-Hispanic | ||||
| Hispanic | 81 (12) | 22(16)) | 59(11 | |
| Asian | 13(2) | 7(5) | 6(1) | |
| Other | 2(0) | 0(0) | 2(0) | |
| Age at evaluation (yrs) | <0.0001 | |||
| Mean (SD) | 58.8 (12.7) | 48.1 (10.7) | 61.5(11.7) | |
| Median | 59 (22-93) | 47 (24-88) | 62 (22-93) | |
| (range) | ||||
| Education | 0.71 | |||
| Mean (SD) | 12.93(4.00) | 12.81 (4.38) | 12.96(3.90) | |
| Median | 12(0-24) | 12(0-23) | 13(0-24) | |
| (range) | ||||
| Marriageb | ||||
| Yes no. (%) | 416(66) | 98 (76) | 318(63) | 0.007 |
| No no. (%) | 216(34) | 31 (24) | 185(37) | |
| Incomeb N (%) | ||||
| <$31,000 | 184(42) | 37(41) | 147 (42) | 0.85 |
| ≥$31,000 | 254 (58) | 53 (59) | 201 (58) | |
| Treatment centerb, N (%) | 0.009 a | |||
| Yale Cancer | 160(25) | 31 (25)) | 129(25 | |
| Center | ||||
| VA | 23(4) | 1(1) | 22(4) | |
| MSKCC | 61 (10) | 14(11) | 47(9) | |
| Simmons | 42(7) | 12(10) | 30(6) | |
| Parkland | 181 (29) | 43 (34) | 138(27) | |
| DFCI | 40(6) | 10(8) | 30(6) | |
| NHOH | 117(19) | 11 (9) | 106(21) | |
| Other | 10(2) | 4(3) | 6(1) | |
| Cancer Siteb, N (%) | 0.02 a | |||
| Lung | 152(24) | 20(15) | 132(26) | |
| Colon | 80(13) | 17(13) | 63(12) | |
| Pancreatic | 56(9) | 10(8) | 46(9) | |
| Breast Cancer | 55(9) | 21 (16) | 34(7) | |
| Other | 299 (47) | 63 (48) | 236 (46) | |
| Insurance Statusb, N (%) | 0.24 | |||
| Insured | 465(71) | 90 (67) | 375 (72) | |
| Uninsured | 192(29) | 45 (33) | 147 (28) | |
| Religion: N (%) | 0.14a | |||
| Catholic | 282 (42) | 49 (36) | 233 (44) | |
| Protestant | 128(19) | 30 (22) | 98(18) | |
| Baptist | 68(10) | 14(10) | 54(10) | |
| Jewish | 33(5) | 2(2) | 31(6) | |
| Other | 124(19) | 30 (22) | 94(18) | |
| None | 33(5) | 10(7) | 23(4) | |
| Physical Health: Mean (SD) | ||||
| Charlson Comorbidity | 8.14(2.16) | 6.86 (2.25) | 8.47 (2.62) | <0.0001 |
| Karnofsky | 69(17) | 72(17) | 68(17) | 0.02 |
| Mcgill Symptom Burden | 12.16(6.37) | 12.19(6.83) | 12.15(6.26) | 0.95 |
Note: Bolded p-values represent significant differences between patients with and without dependent children.
a
Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel Statistics
b
Missing Responses (No.): Marriage (36), Income (230), Treatment Center (34), Cancer Site (26), Zubrod (21), Insurance Status (11),