Table 2.
The Quality of 3 Tapered Matched Samples of LSES Groups, Each With 3 Control Groups From NLSES Non‐Hispanic Whites (Demographics Match, Presentation Match, and Treatment Match)
| 2a. LSES Non‐Hispanic Whites Matched to NLSES Non‐Hispanic Whites | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSES Non‐Hispanic White Controls Matched for: | ||||
| Focal LSESb Non‐Hispanic Whites | Treatment +Presentation +Demographics | Presentation +Demographics | Demographics | |
| Variablea | n = 1,890 | n = 1,890 | n = 1,890 | n = 1,890 |
| Age at diagnosis (years, mean) | 75.3 | 75.0 | 75.4 | 75.3 |
| Diagnosis year (mean) | 2003.9 | 2003.9 | 2003.9 | 2003.9 |
| Selected Presentation Variables | ||||
| CHF % | 22.1 | 21.3 | 20.0 | 8.7**** |
| Diabetes % | 37.8 | 36.8 | 36.2 | 19.0**** |
| Stage I % | 38.2 | 38.2 | 38.2 | 51.8**** |
| Stage II % | 35.3 | 35.3 | 35.3 | 30.2*** |
| Stage III % | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 7.7* |
| Late stage (stage IV) % | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 3.6**** |
| Stage missing % | 10.1 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 6.8*** |
| Grade I % | 19.9 | 20.2 | 20.3 | 23.7** |
| Grade II % | 38.5 | 39.4 | 38.6 | 41.0 |
| Grade III % | 26.9 | 25.5 | 26.4 | 23.9* |
| Grade IV % | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Grade missing % | 13.2 | 13.1 | 13.2 | 10.3** |
| ER positive % | 67.0 | 67.8 | 67.5 | 74.0**** |
| Tumor size 3 < 4 cm % | 12.1 | 11.7 | 10.7 | 8.6*** |
| Tumor size ≥ 4 cm % | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 10.9**** |
| Selected Treatment Variables | ||||
| Nodes removed (mean) | 7.86 | 7.15 ** | 6.99*** | 6.75**** |
| Nodes positive (mean) | 1.47 | 1.48 | 1.52 | 1.16*** |
| Ratio of nodes positive to removed (mean) | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.10** |
| No treatment % | 7.5 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 3.0**** |
| Inappropriate treatmentc % | 19.8 | 19.7 | 18.5 | 12.6**** |
| Mastectomy only % | 33.2 | 33.2 | 22.0**** | 22.0**** |
| Breast‐conserving surgery + radiation % | 19.5 | 19.6 | 28.1**** | 36.2**** |
| Breast‐conserving surgery only (without radiation) % | 9.8 | 9.7 | 10.1 | 7.8*** |
| Any radiation % | 33.3 | 34.4 | 46.3**** | 54.6**** |
| Any chemotherapy % | 35.5 | 36.4 | 42.5**** | 41.2**** |
| Chemo with doxorubicin but no taxane % | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Chemo with doxorubicin + taxane % | 4.3 | 4.6 | 6.2** | 5.9* |
| Days from Dx to Tx, of those who were treated (mean) | 27.6 | 26.9 | 25.7 | 25.6 |
| 2b. LSES Blacks Matched to NLSES Non‐Hispanic Whites | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSES Non‐Hispanic White Controls Matched for: | ||||
| Focal LSESbBlacks | Treatment +Presentation +Demographics | Presentation +Demographics | Demographics | |
| Variablea | n = 1,824 | n = 1,824 | n = 1,824 | n = 1,824 |
| Age at diagnosis (years, mean) | 76.0 | 76.0 | 76.1 | 76.1 |
| Diagnosis year (mean) | 2002.4 | 2002.4 | 2002.4 | 2002.4 |
| CHF % | 21.3 | 21.0 | 20.3 | 10.6**** |
| Diabetes % | 42.5 | 41.7 | 41.9 | 19.2**** |
| Selected Presentation Variables | ||||
| Stage I % | 31.3 | 31.3 | 31.3 | 50.5**** |
| Stage II % | 35.9 | 35.9 | 35.9 | 28.9**** |
| Stage III % | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 8.1*** |
| Late stage (stage IV) % | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 4.1**** |
| Stage missing % | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 8.3**** |
| Grade I % | 13.1 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 21.9**** |
| Grade II % | 32.1 | 32.0 | 31.5 | 38.6**** |
| Grade III % | 32.0 | 31.6 | 31.3 | 24.4**** |
| Grade IV % | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.9**** |
| Grade missing % | 20.7 | 20.1 | 20.8 | 13.2**** |
| ER positive % | 57.0 | 57.0 | 58.6 | 69.5**** |
| Tumor size 3 < 4 cm % | 11.7 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 8.1**** |
| Tumor size ≥ 4 cm % | 22.3 | 21.3 | 21.7 | 12.1**** |
| Selected Treatment Variables | ||||
| Nodes removed (mean) | 7.58 | 7.46 | 7.61*** | 7.24**** |
| Nodes positive (mean) | 1.73 | 1.73 | 1.92 | 1.22*** |
| Ratio of nodes positive to removed (mean) | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.11** |
| No treatment % | 11.4 | 11.4 | 7.6**** | 4.8**** |
| Inappropriate treatmentc % | 24.7 | 24.7 | 18.1**** | 16.1**** |
| Mastectomy only % | 28.8 | 29.2 | 24.2*** | 25.4* |
| Breast‐conserving surgery + radiation % | 18.0 | 18.0 | 25.1**** | 32.3**** |
| Breast‐conserving surgery only (without radiation) % | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 9.6 |
| Any radiation % | 34.5 | 34.9 | 44.1**** | 49.4**** |
| Any chemotherapy % | 33.1 | 33.2 | 40.0**** | 35.0**** |
| Chemo with doxorubicin but no taxane % | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 5.4 |
| Chemo with doxorubicin + taxane % | 4.8 | 5.1 | 7.1** | 5.2 |
| Days from Dx to Tx, of those who were treated (mean) | 31.6 | 30.6 | 24.6**** | 24.4**** |
| 2c. LSES Hispanics Matched to NLSES Non‐Hispanic Whites | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSES Non‐Hispanic White Controls Matched for: | ||||
| Focal LSESb Hispanics | Treatment +Presentation +Demographics | Presentation +Demographics | Demographics | |
| Variablea | n = 723 | n = 723 | n = 723 | n = 723 |
| Age at diagnosis (years, mean) | 75.1 | 75.4 | 75.4 | 75.0 |
| Diagnosis year (mean) | 2002.5 | 2002.5 | 2002.5 | 2002.5 |
| Selected Presentation Variables | ||||
| CHF % | 17.6 | 18.7 | 17.0 | 9.4**** |
| Diabetes % | 43.8 | 45.8 | 41.8 | 14.4**** |
| Stage I % | 35.4 | 35.4 | 35.4 | 54.2**** |
| Stage II % | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 28.6* |
| Stage III % | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 5.9**** |
| Late stage (stage IV) % | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 2.8** |
| Stage missing % | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 8.4 |
| Grade I % | 14.4 | 16.2 | 15.6 | 24.9**** |
| Grade II % | 36.1 | 33.9 | 35.8 | 42.6**** |
| Grade III % | 31.5 | 31.5 | 30.4 | 21.2**** |
| Grade IV % | –d | –d | –d | –d |
| Grade missing % | –d | –d | –d | –d |
| ER positive % | 62.9 | 65.8 | 62.8 | 72.2*** |
| Tumor size 3 < 4 cm % | 10.4 | 10.9 | 11.1 | 7.6 |
| Tumor size ≥ 4 cm % | 18.9 | 17.6 | 18.1 | 10.1**** |
| Selected Treatment Variables | ||||
| Nodes removed (mean) | 8.38 | 8.03 | 7.83 | 7.13*** |
| Nodes positive (mean) | 1.90 | 1.92 | 2.00 | 1.02**** |
| Ratio of nodes positive to removed (mean) | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.09** |
| No treatment % | 8.4 | 8.4 | 5.4* | 4.4** |
| Inappropriate treatmentc % | 19.1 | 19.1 | 16.0 | 14.9* |
| Mastectomy only % | 24.9 | 27.1 | 20.3* | 21.0 |
| Breast‐conserving surgery + radiation % | 24.5 | 24.5 | 34.2**** | 38.2**** |
| Breast‐conserving surgery only (without radiation) % | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.6 |
| Any radiation % | 41.1 | 41.4 | 54.6**** | 57.4**** |
| Any chemotherapy % | 39.1 | 37.1 | 37.2 | 32.6** |
| Chemo with doxorubicin but no taxane % | 5.3 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 4.4 |
| Chemo with doxorubicin + taxane % | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 4.4 |
| Days from Dx to Tx, of those who were treated (mean) | 30.6 | 29.8 | 25.4* | 26.9 |
Abbreviations: CHF, congestive heart failure; Dx, Diagnosis; ER, estrogen receptor; LSES, low socioeconomic status; NLSES, not‐low socioeconomic status; SES, socioeconomic status; Tx, Treatment.
* p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001; **** p < 0.0001. P‐values for bolded variables test for balance, while p‐values for non‐bolded numbers test differences in unmatched variables. See Statistical Tests and Outcomes for details.
a
Selected from 169 variables: see complete results in online Appendix Table 6. Variables whose values are displayed in bold were included in the column's match.
b
LSES patients must have been dual‐eligible and residing in neighborhoods with an FPL of 20% or more and with fewer than 80% of residents having a high school diploma or GED. To be NLSES, patients must not have been dual‐eligible and must have resided in neighborhoods that did not have an FPL of 20% or more, or fewer than 80% of residents having a high school diploma or GED.
c
Inappropriate treatment is defined as no surgery in early‐stage disease, no treatment in late‐stage disease, or conserving surgery without radiation at any stage.
d
These cells are masked to comply with CMS cell size suppression rules.