Table 2.
Characteristics of Advanced Cancer Patients, Oncology Physicians, and Oncology Nurses, n = 391
| Characteristic | Patients (n = 70) | Physicians (n = 206) | Nurses (n = 115) | Pa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female gender, n (%) | 38 (50.7) | 87 (42.2) | 113 (98.3) | <0.001 |
| Age, mean (SD)b | 59.9 (11.9) | 40.8 (9.9) | 45.5 (9.2) | <0.001 |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%)c | ||||
| White | 59 (84.3) | 157 (78.1) | 109 (95.6) | |
| Black | 7 (10.0) | 4 (2.0) | 2 (1.8) | |
| Asian American, Indian, Pacific Islander | 1 (1.4) | 36 (17.9) | 2 (1.8) | |
| Hispanic | 1 (1.4) | 4 (2.0) | 1 (0.9) | |
| Other | 2 (2.9) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| Education, mean (SD)d | 15.2 (3.5) | NA | NA | NA |
| Religiousness, n (%)e | ||||
| Not at all religious | 13 (19.1) | 62 (31.2) | 29 (25.9) | |
| Slightly religious | 25 (36.8) | 66 (33.2) | 22 (29.5) | |
| Moderately religious | 17 (25.0) | 54 (27.1) | 43 (38.4) | |
| Very religious | 13 (19.1) | 17 (8.5) | 7 (6.3) | 0.02 |
| Spirituality, n (%)e | ||||
| Not at all spiritual | 5 (7.4) | 30 (15.1) | 6 (5.4) | |
| Slightly spiritual | 14 (20.6) | 57 (28.6) | 18 (16.1) | |
| Moderately spiritual | 24 (35.3) | 75 (37.7) | 58 (51.8) | |
| Very spiritual | 25 (36.8) | 37 (18.6) | 30 (26.8) | <0.001 |
| Religious tradition, n (%)e | ||||
| Catholic | 32 (47.1) | 47 (23.6) | 70 (62.5) | |
| Other Christian traditions | 22 (32.4) | 45 (22.6) | 17 (15.2) | |
| Jewish | 5 (7.4) | 51 (25.6) | 6 (5.4) | |
| Muslim | 1 (1.5) | 2 (1.0) | 0 (0) | |
| Hindu | 2 (2.9) | 3 (1.5) | 2 (1.8) | |
| Buddhist | 0 (0) | 11 (5.5) | 0 (0) | |
| No religious tradition | 2 (2.9) | 22 (11.1) | 6 (5.4) | |
| Other | 4 (5.88) | 18 (9.1) | 11 (9.8) | <0.001 |
| Field of oncology, n (%) | — | |||
| Medical oncology | 112 (54.4) | 90 (78.3) | ||
| Radiation oncology | 46 (22.3) | 13 (11.3) | ||
| Surgical oncology | 32 (15.5) | 7 (6.1) | ||
| Palliative care | 16 (7.8) | 5 (4.4) | <0.001 | |
| Years in practice, n (%) | — | |||
| Resident or fellow | 67 (32.5) | — | ||
| 1–5 | 36 (17.5) | 24 (20.9) | ||
| 6–10 | 35 (17.0) | 24 (20.9) | ||
| 11–15 | 23 (11.2) | 15 (13.0) | ||
| 16–20 | 20 (9.7) | 11 (9.6) | ||
| 21+ | 25 (12.1) | 41 (35.7) | <0.001f | |
SD = standard deviation; NA = not assessed.
P-values based on χ2 tests for categorical variables and analysis of variance for continuous variables; P < 0.05 considered significant.
Age missing for 25 physicians and 8 nurses.
Race/ethnicity missing in five physicians and one nurse.
Educational status of physicians and nurses not assessed, but given the training requirements of these professions, can be assumed to be at least a postgraduate education.
Religiousness, spirituality, and religious tradition missing in seven physicians and three nurses.
Resident or fellow category combined with practice one to five years to create single category of less than five years of practice.