Table 2.
Descriptive characteristics of health professionals in 2004 and 2011
| Characteristic | 2004 (%) n = 80 | 2011 (%) n = 92 |
|---|---|---|
| Female |
61 (76) |
80 (87) |
| Median age, years (range) |
43.5 (24–63) |
45.5 (21–67) |
| Role group |
|
|
| Medical |
22 (28) |
22 (24) |
| Radiation therapist |
26 (32) |
16 (17) |
| Nurse |
29 (36) |
45 (49) |
| Allied health |
3 (4) |
9 (10) |
| Time dedicated to working with breast cancer (range*) |
5-100 |
5-100 |
| 25th Percentile |
20 |
10 |
| 50th Percentile |
30 |
30 |
| 75th Percentile |
67 |
60 |
| Marital status (has partner) |
61 (76) |
67 (73) |
| Has children |
54 (68) |
58 (63) |
| Has children <15 yrs |
27 (34) |
30 (33) |
| Has dependents |
51 (64) |
54 (59) |
| Has relative/friend who died from cancer |
63 (79) |
81 (88) |
| Has relative/friend who has had radiotherapy |
55 (69) |
69 (75) |
| Ever considered radiotherapy for themselves |
2 (2.5) |
2 (2.2) |
| Familiarity with EBRT |
|
|
| Never heard of it |
1 (1.3) |
2 (2.2) |
| Read or heard about it |
8 (10) |
18 (20) |
| Supervised patients having it |
71 (89) |
72 (78) |
| Familiarity with IORT |
|
|
| Never heard of it |
7 (9) |
12 (13) |
| Read or heard about it |
36 (45) |
38 (41) |
| Supervised patients having it | 37 (46) | 42 (46) |
*Note that responses less than 5% were excluded from analysis as suggestive of insufficient experience with breast cancer patients.