Table 1.
Patterns of Referral to Cancer Specialists and Treatments, by Stage
| Stage, Referral, and Treatment | No. | % |
|---|---|---|
| Stage IIIA | ||
| Referral type | ||
| Oncology and radiation oncology | 831 | 19.0 |
| Oncology and surgery (thoracic or general) | 710 | 16.2 |
| Oncology, radiation oncology, and surgery | 1,784 | 40.9 |
| Other specialty combinations* | 917 | 20.9 |
| No referrals | 129 | 3.0 |
| Total | 4,371 | 100.0 |
| Treatments | ||
| Chemotherapy and radiotherapy | 1,513 | 34.6 |
| Chemotherapy and surgery | 181 | 4.1 |
| Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery | 269 | 6.2 |
| Other treatment combinations† | 1,849 | 42.3 |
| No treatment | 559 | 12.8 |
| Total | 4,371 | 100.0 |
| Stage IIIB | ||
| Referral type | ||
| Oncology and radiation oncology | 1,709 | 17.6 |
| Oncology, radiation oncology, and surgery | 3,089 | 31.7 |
| Other specialty combinations‡ | 4,451 | 45.7 |
| No referrals | 487 | 5.0 |
| Total | 9,736 | 100.0 |
| Treatments | ||
| Chemotherapy and radiotherapy | 2,937 | 30.2 |
| Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery | 187 | 1.9 |
| Other treatment combinations§ | 4,525 | 46.5 |
| No treatment | 2,087 | 21.4 |
| Total | 9,736 | 100.0 |
| Stage IV | ||
| Referral type | ||
| Oncology with or without other specialties | 13,013 | 87.5 |
| Other specialties without oncology‖ | 1,268 | 8.5 |
| No referrals | 589 | 4.0 |
| Total | 14,870 | 100.0 |
| Treatments | ||
| Chemotherapy alone | 3,645 | 24.5 |
| Chemotherapy and radiotherapy | 4,437 | 29.8 |
| Other treatment combinations¶ | 3,954 | 26.6 |
| No treatment | 2,834 | 19.1 |
| Total | 14,870 | 100.0 |
Includes referrals to a single specialty (oncology, radiation oncology, or surgery), radiation oncology plus general surgery or thoracic surgery.
Includes single modality treatments (chemotherapy alone, radiation alone, or surgery alone), or radiation plus surgery.
Includes referrals to a single specialty (oncology, radiation oncology, or surgery), oncology plus general or thoracic surgery, or radiation oncology plus general or thoracic surgery.
Includes single modality treatments (chemotherapy alone, radiation alone, or surgery alone), chemotherapy plus surgery, or radiation plus surgery.
Includes referrals to a single specialty other than oncology (radiation oncology, general surgery, or thoracic surgery), or radiation oncology plus general or thoracic surgery.
Includes radiation alone, surgery alone, chemotherapy plus surgery, radiation plus surgery, or chemotherapy plus radiation plus surgery.