Table 1.
General characteristics of 731 counselees requesting cancer genetic counseling
| Variable | Both clinics combined % (n = 731) | University hospital % (n = 403)a | Community hospitals % (n = 328)a | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 100.0 | 55.1 | 44.9 | ||
| Gender | Male | 25.6 (187) | 26.6 (107) | 24.4 (80) | n.s. |
| Female | 74.4 (544) | 73.4 (296) | 75.6 (248) | ||
| Personal cancer history | Affected | 50.8 (371) | 46.7 (188) | 55.8 (183) | 0.014* |
| Unaffected | 49.2 (360) | 53.3 (215) | 44.2 (145) | ||
| Affected with (n = 371) | Breast cancer | 56.3 (209) | 60.6 (114) | 51.9 (95) | n.s. |
| Ovarian cancer | 4.0 (15) | 2.7 (5) | 5.5 (10) | n.s. | |
| Colon cancer | 16.4 (61) | 10.1 (19) | 23.0 (42) | 0.001* | |
| Endometrial cancer | 0.8 (3) | 1.6 (3) | 0 (0) | n.s. | |
| Melanoma | 2.7 (10) | 4.3 (8) | 1.1 (2) | n.s. | |
| Polyposis | 9.2 (34) | 9.6 (18) | 8.7 (16) | n.s. | |
| ≥ 2 kinds of cancer | 5.1 (19) | 5.3 (10) | 4.9 (9) | n.s. | |
| Otherb | 5.4 (20) | 5.9 (11) | 4.9 (9) | n.s. | |
| Eligibility for genetic testing in counselee or relative | Diagnostic DNA testing | 38.2 (279) | 36.0 (145) | 40.9 (134) | n.s. |
| MSI/IHCc | 11.6 (85) | 9.4 (38) | 14.3 (47) | 0.040* | |
| Predictive testingd | 22.0 (161) | 29.5 (119) | 12.8 (42) | 0.000* | |
| Did not meet criteria for testing | 10.4 (76) | 8.7 (35) | 12.5 (41) | n.s. | |
| Other | 17.8 (130) | 16.4 (66) | 19.5 (64) | n.s. | |
| Initiator discussing family history | Counselee | 35.6 (252) | 38.3 (148) | 32.4 (104) | n.s. |
| (n = 707) | Physician | 48.4 (342) | 42.2 (163) | 55.8 (179) | 0.000* |
| Other | 16.0 (113) | 19.4 (75) | 11.8 (38) | 0.006* | |
| Educational levele (n = 714) | Low | 5.0 (36) | 4.1 (16) | 6.2 (20) | n.s. |
| Intermediate-1 | 21.6 (154) | 18.7 (73) | 25.1 (81) | 0.038* | |
| Intermediate-2 | 35.2 (251) | 31.7 (124) | 39.3 (127) | 0.034* | |
| High | 38.2 (273) | 45.5 (178) | 29.4 (95) | 0.000* | |
| Migrant statusf (n = 723) | Dutch native | 88.7 (641) | 86.6 (342) | 91.2 (299) | 0.053* |
| Migrant | 11.3 (82) | 13.4 (53) | 8.8 (29) | ||
| Migrant, western | 6.7 (49) | 7.1 (28) | 6.4 (21) | n.s. | |
| Migrant, non-western | 4.6 (33) | 6.3 (25) | 2.4 (8) | 0.013* |
*A two-sided p value of < 0.05 is considered significant. n.s.: not significant
aData calculated for clinical setting (i.e., within each column)
bOther cancer: parathyroid adenoma, angiolipoma, carcinoid, brain tumor, hyperparathyroidism, pituitary tumor, leiomyomatosis, leukemia, neurofibroma, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, sarcoma, sebaceoma, esophageal cancer, and testis carcinoma
cMSI/IHC: microsatellite instability testing/immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair deficiency
dPredictive testing: genetic testing for a mutation which is already known in the family of the counselee
eLow: (pre-)primary education or first stage of basic education; Intermediate-1: lower secondary or second stage of basic education; Intermediate-2: (upper) secondary education; High: tertiary education
fDutch native: both parents are born in The Netherlands; Migrant: at least one of the parents is born outside the Netherlands. Western Migrant: at least one parent born outside the Netherlands, but in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Japan; Non-Western Migrant: at least one parent born in Turkey and countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asian countries