Table 1.
Sample characteristicsa and QOL scores as a function of cancer diagnosis
| Variable | Breast Cancer | Benign Disease | Total | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | ||
| Age | 55.81 (10.95) | 49.64 (16.34) | 54.19 (12.66) | 27–85 |
| Education level | 14.06 (2.49) | 14.64 (2.77) | 14.21 (2.54) | 9–20 |
| Breast Cancer | Benign Disease | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | n | n | |
| Ethnicity | |||
| Caucasian | 27 | 6 | 33 |
| African-American | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Not reported | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Marital Status | |||
| Single (never married) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Married | 22 | 6 | 28 |
| Separated or Divorced | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Widowed | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Education | |||
| Some high school/high school | 11 | 3 | 14 |
| Some college/college degree | 16 | 5 | 21 |
| Graduate degree | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| QOL Subscale | Breast Cancer Mean (SD) |
Benign Disease Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| PWBb | 2.74 (.68) | 3.27 (.52) |
| EWBb | 3.07 (.68) | 3.55 (.39) |
| FWBb | 2.46 (1.02) | 3.30 (.46) |
a
There were no differences between patients with cancer versus benign masses on any demographic variable, nor any significant influence of such variables.
b
A higher score indicates greater well-being.