Table 1.

Characteristics of women who died of breast cancer (cases) and control women

	Cases (n =501)		Controls (n = 5,009)
	n	%	n	%
Duration of continuous health care coverage prior to index date (years)a,b
5–19	30	6.0	300	6.0
20–29	238	47.5	2,379	47.5
30–39	233	46.5	2,330	46.5
Mean (standard deviation)	28.6 (5.2)		28.6 (5.2)
Median (interquartile range)	29.0 (26.0–32.2)		29.0 (26.0–32.2)
Index yeara
1995–1999	266	53.1	2,659	53.1
2000–2004	177	35.3	1,770	35.3
2005–2008	58	11.6	580	11.6
Age in index year (years)a
52–59	129	25.8	1,290	25.8
60–69	216	43.1	2,159	43.1
70–79	156	31.1	1,560	31.1
Year of breast cancer death
1995–1999	101	20.2	n/a	n/a
2000–2004	212	42.3	n/a	n/a
2005–2008	188	37.5	n/a	n/a
Age in year of breast cancer death (years)
52–59	68	13.6	n/a	n/a
60–69	195	38.9	n/a	n/a
70–79	238	47.5	n/a	n/a
Residence in the index yeara
Urban (population >100,000)	203	40.5	1,845	36.8
Small urbanc	68	13.6	655	13.1
Rural	230	45.9	2,509	50.1
Marital status in index yeara
Single, never married	29	5.8	173	3.5
Married or common law	295	58.9	3,340	66.7
Divorced, separated, widow, or other	177	35.3	1,496	29.9
Receipt of government income security benefits in index yeara,d
None	358	71.5	3,984	79.5
Any	143	28.5	1,025	20.5
Receipt of hysterectomy prior to index datea,e	129	25.8	1,359	27.1
Cancer diagnoses prior to index datea,f
None	432	86.2	4,494	89.7
Any	69	13.8	515	10.3
Use of hormone therapy (HT) prior to index dateg
Neverh	229	45.7	2,075	41.4
Current combined therapy (CHT)i
<5 years	13	2.6	187	3.7
≥5 years	17	3.4	124	2.5
Current unopposed estrogen therapy (EHT)j
<5 years	19	3.8	210	4.2
≥5 years	31	6.2	314	6.3
Former CHT or EHTk	108	21.6	1,135	22.7
Ever use of other HT onlyl	84	16.8	964	19.3

^aThe index date/year is the date of the first primary breast cancer diagnosis for cases and the comparable date for controls.

^bThe start date for health care coverage was the initiation of Saskatchewan health care coverage or January 1, 1970, whichever occurred later.

^cIncludes communities with a regional hospital.

^dIncludes various income security programs for low-income families and individuals (including programs for seniors).

^eAscertained from: (1) procedure codes from hospital inpatient stays and day surgeries as of 1970 or initiation of health care coverage, whichever occurred later; and (2) Saskatchewan physician billing codes as of 1975 or initiation of health care coverage, whichever occurred later.

^fAscertained from the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency’s cancer registry going back to 1970 (the earliest year in which automated data were available). By design no case or control had a breast cancer diagnosis prior to the index date.

^gCHT and EHT include oral and transdermal patch EHT and CHT prescriptions only.

^hWomen who never had a prescription for any menopausal hormone therapy.

ⁱIncludes 16 women who were also current users of EHT, and 111 women who were former users of EHT.

^jIncludes 108 women who were former users of CHT

^kIncludes 0 women who were current users of EHT or CHT.

^lIncludes women whose only use of menopausal hormone therapy did not include use of oral or transdermal patch EHT or CHT (e.g. includes women whose only use of hormone therapy was estrogen vaginal creams).