Table 1.
Patient Demographic and Baseline Health Characteristics
| Variable | Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics (n = 106) | |||
| Age (years) | Mean | 59.0 | − |
| Median | 59.5 | − | |
| IQR | 50–68 | − | |
| Range | 21–90 | − | |
| Sex | Male | 44 | 40.4 |
| Female | 65 | 59.6 | |
| Race | Aboriginal | 3 | 2.8 |
| Arab/West Asian | 2 | 1.8 | |
| Black/African | 2 | 1.8 | |
| East Asian | 15 | 13.8 | |
| Latin American/Latino | 1 | 0.9 | |
| South Asian | 4 | 3.7 | |
| South East Asian | 7 | 6.4 | |
| White/Caucasian/European | 71 | 65.1 | |
| Other (‘Canadian/South African [Coloured]/West Indian – Trinidadian/other’) | 4 | 3.7 | |
| English fluency (speaking and writing) | Very poor | 1 | 0.9 |
| Poor | 2 | 1.8 | |
| Satisfactory | 5 | 4.6 | |
| Good | 20 | 18.3 | |
| Very good | 81 | 74.3 | |
| Comfort with health information in English | Yes | 105 | 96.3 |
| No | 4 | 3.7 | |
| Highest level of schooling completed | Grade school | 2 | 1.9 |
| Some high school | 7 | 6.6 | |
| High school completed | 20 | 18.9 | |
| Some college/university | 18 | 17.0 | |
| College/university completed | 48 | 45.3 | |
| Graduate school | 9 | 8.5 | |
| Other (‘post-graduate’) | 2 | 1.9 | |
| No response | 3 | − | |
| Annual household income in recent years | <$25000 | 9 | 8.9 |
| $25000-$49999 | 20 | 19.8 | |
| $50000-$74999 | 19 | 18.8 | |
| $75000-$99999 | 15 | 14.9 | |
| $99999+ | 27 | 26.7 | |
| Preference to not indicate | 11 | 10.9 | |
| No response | 8 | − | |
| Supports or caregivers (emotional, psychological, and/or physical) | 1 or more immediate family members | 103 | 94.5 |
| 1 or more extended family members | 57 | 52.3 | |
| 1 or more friends | 26 | 23.9 | |
| Other supports (CCAC, family GP, psychologist, social worker, pastor/church, sister-in-law, work) | 9 | 8.3 | |
| No supports indicated | 4 | 3.7 | |
| Living status with support or caregiver(s) | Yes | 83 | 76.1 |
| No | 26 | 24.9 | |
| Easy access to Internet for heath information | Yes | 98 | 89.9 |
| No | 11 | 10.1 | |
| Main work-related activity | Part-time or full-time work | 43 | 40.2 |
| Student | 2 | 1.9 | |
| Retired | 39 | 36.4 | |
| Home-maker | 4 | 3.7 | |
| Receiving disability payment | 14 | 13.1 | |
| Unemployed | 4 | 3.7 | |
| Volunteering | 1 | 0.9 | |
| No response | 2 | − | |
| Amount of assistance needed with daily activities of living | A lot of help | 3 | 2.8 |
| Some help | 43 | 40.2 | |
| No help | 61 | 57.0 | |
| No response | 2 | − | |
| Health-related characteristics (n = 106) | |||
| Primary cancer | Lung | 56 | 51.4 |
| Breast | 20 | 18.3 | |
| Skin/melanoma | 15 | 13.8 | |
| Kidney | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Colorectal | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Lymphoma | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Back muscle | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Bladder | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Eye | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Liver | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Ovarian | 3 | 2.8 | |
| Stomach/esophagus | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Throat | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Thyroid | 2 | 1.8 | |
| Clear cell sarcoma | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Cervical | 1 | 0.9 | |
| Not known | 2 | 1.8 | |
| Number of brain metastases | Single | 29 | 26.9 |
| Multiple | 62 | 57.4 | |
| Not known | 17 | 15.7 | |
| No response | 1 | − | |
| Stage of brain metastases trajectory | Newly diagnosed, treatment not started | 13 | 12.0 |
| Newly diagnosed, receiving treatment | 7 | 6.5 | |
| Recently completed treatment (less than 3 months post-treatment) | 21 | 19.4 | |
| Long-term follow-up (<1 year post-treatment) | 23 | 21.3 | |
| Long-term follow-up (>1 year post-treatment) | 24 | 22.2 | |
| Remission and monitoring | 7 | 6.5 | |
| Recurrence with treatment re-initiated | 10 | 9.3 | |
| Recently completed treatment for recurrence | 3 | 2.8 | |
| No response | 1 | − | |
| Number of treatment types completed or planned for brain metastases | Single | 44 | 41.9 |
| Multiple | 45 | 42.9 | |
| Not known | 13 | 12.4 | |
| No treatment planned | 1 | 1.0 | |
| Other | 2 | 1.8 | |
| No response | 4 | − | |
| Types of treatments completed or planned by family or friends for their brain metastases | Whole brain radiation | 36 | 40.4 |
| Stereotactic radiation (gamma knife) | 65 | 73.0 | |
| Other form of external beam radiotherapy (eg, intensity-modulated radiotherapy) | 6 | 6.7 | |
| Surgery | 27 | 30.3 | |
| Targeted chemotherapy | 12 | 13.5 | |
| Pain and/or symptom control | 4 | 4.5 | |
| Enrollment in clinical trial (current or planned) | 4 | 4.5 | |
| Number of primary treatment goals | Single goal | 66 | 75.0 |
| Multiple goals | 11 | 12.5 | |
| Not known | 11 | 12.5 | |
| No response | 1 | − | |
| Intended treatment goal(s) | Curative | 38 | 43.2 |
| Survival prolongation | 45 | 51.1 | |
| Palliative | 6 | 6.8 | |
| Not known | 11 | 12.5 | |
| No response | 1 | − | |