Table 1.
Patient Characteristics and COST Valuesa
| Characteristic | N = 233 | COST (Mean±SD)a | Univariable P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institution | |||
| The University of Chicago | 199 (85.4%) | 22.34 ± 11.79 | .74 |
| NorthShore University HealthSystem | 34 (14.6%) | 21.60 ± 12.65 | |
| Median age (range), y | 59 (27‐88) | ||
| ≤50 | 51 (21.9%) | 20.56 ± 11.71 | .05 |
| 51‐64 | 110 (47.2%) | 20.88 ± 11.84 | |
| 65‐75 | 56 (24.0%) | 25.51 ± 10.98 | |
| ≥75 | 16 (6.9%) | 25.37 ± 14.01 | |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 136 (58.4%) | 20.62 ± 11.57 | .01 |
| Male | 97 (41.6%) | 24.50 ± 12.02 | |
| Marital status | |||
| Married | 170 (73.0%) | 23.27 ± 11.86 | .02 |
| Divorced/separated/widowed | 38 (16.3%) | 20.99 ± 11.86 | |
| Never married | 24 (10.3%) | 16.40 ± 10.67 | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| White, non‐Hispanic | 154 (66.1%) | 23.90 ± 12.21 | .03 |
| African American | 54 (23.2%) | 18.92 ± 10.71 | |
| Hispanic | 14 (6.0%) | 18.46 ± 9.73 | |
| Other (Asian and Native American) | 10 (4.3%) | 21.54 ± 11.40 | |
| Education level | |||
| <Collegeb | 36 (15.5%) | 22.20 ± 12.04 | .11 |
| Some college or technical training | 87 (37.3%) | 20.28 ± 11.18 | |
| Completed college | 55 (23.6%) | 22.29 ± 11.92 | |
| Graduate or professional degree | 55 (23.6%) | 25.29 ± 12.51 | |
| Insurance type | |||
| Private or employer‐based | 144 (61.8%) | 21.89 ± 11.75 | .04 |
| Medicare (with or without supplementation) | 73 (31.3%) | 24.47 ± 11.99 | |
| Medicaid | 13 (5.6%) | 15.31 ± 8.14 | |
| COBRA continuation coverage | 3 (1.3%) | 14.20 ± 19.17 | |
| Employment status | |||
| Working (full time or part time) | 78 (33.5%) | 25.08 ± 11.85 | <.001 |
| Unemployed | 21 (9.0%) | 12.37 ± 10.72 | |
| Retired | 76 (32.6%) | 25.84 ± 10.81 | |
| On short‐term or long‐term disability | 45 (19.3%) | 14.98 ± 8.82 | |
| Others (student or homemaker) | 12 (5.1%) | 26.69 ± 9.49 | |
| ECOG performance status | |||
| 0 | 116 (49.8%) | 21.61 ± 11.89 | .26 |
| 1 | 76 (32.6%) | 23.68 ± 11.27 | |
| 2 | 5 (2.1%) | 16.42 ± 15.57 | |
| Median length of cancer diagnosis (range) | 485 d (56‐9294 d) | ||
| ≤1 y | 90 (38.6%) | 21.26 ± 11.90 | .32 |
| > 1 y | 143 (61.4%) | 22.84 ± 11.89 | |
| Median household income (range) of poverty level | 376.6% (0%‐7964%) | ||
| ≤200% of poverty level | 27 (11.6%) | 15.44 ± 10.03 | <.001 |
| 200%‐400% of FPL | 83 (35.6%) | 20.98 ± 10.77 | |
| 400%‐600% of FPL | 50 (21.5%) | 20.95 ± 13.01 | |
| 600%‐800% of FPL | 21 (9.0%) | 27.57 ± 11.28 | |
| >800% of FPL | 24 (10.3%) | 31.50 ± 10.01 | |
| Median no. of inpatient admissions (range) | 1 (0‐12) | ||
| ≤2 | 156 (66.9%) | 23.39 ± 11.46 | .009 |
| ≥3 | 41 (17.6%) | 17.99 ± 12.26 | |
| Median no. of emergency room visits (range) | 0 (0‐7) | ||
| ≤2 | 187 (80.3%) | 22.21 ± 11.76 | .77 |
| ≥3 | 10 (4.3%) | 23.32 ± 13.22 | |
| Median Brief‐POMS (range) | 14 (1‐50) | <.001 | |
Abbreviations: COBRA, Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act; COST, COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; FPL, federal poverty level; POMS, Profile of Mood States; SD, standard deviation.
Some percentages do not add to 100% due to missing data. Univariate P values were derived from linear regression models.
a
Lower COST values indicate higher toxicity.
b
The category for less than a college education included 12 patients (5.1%) who completed junior high or middle school and 24 patients (10.3%) who completed high school.