Table 1.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with CRC and matched controls

	Colon Cancer Cohort		Rectal Cancer Cohort		Overall CRC Cohort		Comparison Cohort
N	52,371		18,619		70,990		70,990
Age (mean (± SD)*	77.5	(6.90)	76.5	(6.80)	77.3	(6.90)	77.3	(6.90)
Male*	42.8%		50.5%		44.9%		44.9%
Race/ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic	86.2%		86.9%		86.4%		86.8%
African American, non-Hispanic	7.8%		6.1%		7.3%		6.5%
Hispanic, any race	1.1%		1.2%		1.1%		1.9%
Other	5.0%		5.7%		5.2%		4.8%
Geographic region*
Northeast	19.3%		19.6%		19.4%		19.4%
Midwest	27.3%		27.6%		27.4%		27.4%
West	42.0%		42.4%		42.1%		42.1%
South	11.3%		10.4%		11.1%		11.1%
Charlson score (mean (± SD)1	0.5	(1.00)	0.4	(0.90)	0.5	(1.00)	0.4	(0.90)
Selected Charlson comorbidities
Chronic pulmonary/respiratory disease	8.9%		7.9%		8.6%		7.1%
Congestive heart failure	7.9%		6.0%		7.4%		5.9%
Diabetes without complications	10.1%		8.4%		9.6%		7.6%
Cerebrovascular disease	6.0%		4.8%		5.7%		5.7%
Myocardial infarction	3.2%		2.5%		3.0%		2.6%
Peptic ulcer	2.4%		1.5%		2.2%		1.2%
Other major conditions2	7.2%		7.2%		7.2%		7.3%
Stage at diagnosis (%)
Stage I	23.7%		32.4%		26.0%		**
Stage II	34.6%		25.1%		32.1%		**
Stage III	24.6%		22.2%		23.9%		**
Stage IV	17.2%		20.2%		18.0%		**

Source: Authors' calculations based on SEER-Medicare data, 1992-2005. ¹Modified Charlson comorbidity index: excludes cancer-related comorbidities. ²Other major conditions include rheumatologic disease, mild liver disease, diabetes with complications, major liver disease, peripheral vascular disease, dementia, renal disease, hemiplegia or paraplegia, and AIDS.

*Variables used in matching cohorts

**Data not available/not applicable