Table 4.

Patient's Ratings of the Importance of Endorsements, Therapeutic Efficacy, and the Impact of Treatment on Functioning When Assessing the Acceptability of an Experimental Therapy

Decision-Making Factor	Importance Rating* (by age group)						Difference	95% CI	P
	Entire Sample		65-74		≥ 75
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
No. of patients	300		154		146
Endorsement source
Primary oncologist	299	99.7	153	99.4	146	100	−0.6	−1.9 to 0.6	.99
Nurse who treats patients with the experimental therapy	278	92.7	146	94.8	132	90.4	4.4	−1.5 to 10.3	.14
Spouse/partner	201	67.0	110	71.4	91	62.3	9.1	−1.5 to 19.7	.09
Family	208	69.3	112	72.7	96	65.8	7.0	−3.5 to 17.4	.19
Another patient who has received the experimental therapy	248	82.7	130	84.4	118	80.8	3.6	−5.0 to 12.2	.41
Someone you know personally who has received the experimental therapy	248	82.7	132	85.7	116	79.5	6.3	−2.3 to 14.8	.15
Information from the Internet	96	32.0	60	39.0	36	24.7	14.3	3.9 to 24.7	.008
Possible benefit from treatment
Shrinks tumor	298	99.3	153	99.4	145	99.3	0.0	−1.8 to 1.9	.99
Better symptoms	296	98.7	151	98.1	145	99.3	−1.3	−3.8 to 1.3	.62
Live longer	296	98.7	153	99.4	143	98.0	1.4	−1.2 to 4.0	.36
Stabilizes tumor	296	98.7	152	98.7	144	98.6	0.1	−2.5 to 2.7	.99
Impact of treatment on social and role functioning
Needs more care from friends or family	248	82.7	130	84.4	118	80.8	3.6	−5.0 to 12.2	.41
Unable to do the things one enjoys	232	77.3	122	79.2	110	75.3	3.9	−5.6 to 13.4	.42
Unable to take care of spouse or family members	193	64.3	104	67.5	89	61.0	6.6	−4.3 to 17.4	.23
Unable to work	21	7.0	14	9.1	7	4.8	4.3	−1.4 to 10.0	.14

* Very important + somewhat important versus not important + other.