Table 2. Characteristics of included studies not suitable for meta-analysis (universal health care systems).
| Paper | Country of Study | Data Source (s) | Population Included | Years of Diagnosis | Measure of SEP | No of SEP Groups | Treatment Given Within | Age Range | Confounders Controlled For: | Reason for Exclusion | Quality score | ||||
| Age | Sex | Stage | Histology | Other | |||||||||||
| Battersby et al, 2004 [48] | England | HES and East Anglian Cancer Intelligence Unit | 17 PCTs in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire with HES record | 1997–2000 | IMD (weighted average for PCT) | NR | NR | NR | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Incidence | Rate correlated against deprivation, by sex | 1 |
| Bendzsak et al, 2011 [49] | Canada | Ontario Cancer Registry linked to CIHI hospital data, Insurance data and RPD database | Ontario | 2003–2004 | Neighbourhood income | 5 | 12 months | 20–75+ | Yes | Yes | No | No | Univariable analysis | Univariable rate | 2 |
| Cartman et al, 2002 [50] | England | Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service (NYCRIS) | Yorkshire region | 1986–1994 | NR | NR | NR | <65–75+ | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Univariable analysis | Univariable rate | 1 |
| Hui et al, 2005 [51] | Australia | NSW Central Cancer Registry and hospital records | Residents of two area Health Services | 1996 | SEIFA-IRSD | 5 | NR | <50–70+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Univariable analysis | Univariable rate | 2 |
| Madelaine et al, 2002 [52] | France | Manche Dept Cancer Registry | Manche | 1997–1999 | INSEE | 4 | NR | <54–75+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Urban/rural | Unemployed used as low SEP group and SEP group 2 used as baseline | 2 |
| Pagano et al, 2010 [53] | Italy | Piedmont Cancer Registry of Turin | Turin | 2000–2003 | Education level | 3 | 12 months | <65–75+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Marital status | Different comparator – other not no treatment | 2 |
| Patel et al, 2007 [54] | England | Thames Cancer Registry | Southeast England | 1994–2003 | IMD | 5 | 6 months | 0–100 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cancer network, year of diagnosis | Adjusted rates with no CIs. Possible errors in numbers. | 2 |
| Stevens et al, 2009 [55] | New Zealand | Regional hospital and oncology databases checked against NZ cancer Registry listing | Auckland-Northland region patients managed in secondary care | 2004 | NZ Deprivation Index | 10 | NR | <60–80+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Univariable analysis | Univariable OR. Multivariable SEP results not shown | 2 |
| Younis et al, 2008 [56] | Canada | Nova Scotia cancer registry and chart review | Nova Scotia | 2005 | Median household income | 2 | NR | 65–75+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-morbidity, performance status, hospital, surgery type, post-op complications, surgeon, medical oncology, education level, distance to cancer centre, marital status, smoking history | Univariable rate. Multivariable OR only for referral by SEP | 2 |
Quality scores range from 1 (lowest quality) to 6 (highest quality).
CI, confidence interval; HES, Hospital Episode Statistics; IMD, Index of Multiple Deprivation; NR, not reported; NSW, New South Wales; OR, odds ratio; PCT, Primary Care Trust; SEIA-IRSD, Socioeconomic Indexes for Areas - Index of Relative Social Disadvantage; SEP, socioeconomic position; UHCS, universal health care system.