Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of multiple myeloma patients before diagnosis
| Characteristics | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Age | 74.6 ± 8.4 |
| Women | 43 (47%) |
| White race | 70 (76%) |
| Married | 54 (59%) |
| Education less than High School | 25 (27%) |
| Wealth (median, IQR) | 151 K (45–405 K) |
| BMI | |
| ≤ 25 | 31 (34%) |
| > 25 | 59 (66%) |
| Number of comorbidities ≥ 3 | 40 (43%) |
| Previous diagnosis of cancer | 27 (30%) |
| Current smoker | 6 (7%) |
| Drinker | 41 (45%) |
| ADL difficulty | |
| Bathing | 12 (13%) |
| Eating | 5 (5%) |
| Walking across the room | 9 (10%) |
| Transferring to and from bed | 8 (9%) |
| Dressing | 12 (13%) |
| Using toilet | 6 (7%) |
| IADL difficulty | |
| Using the telephone | 6 (7%) |
| Managing finances | 13 (14%) |
| Managing medications | 6 (7%) |
| Shopping for groceries | 15 (17%) |
| Preparing meals | 15 (17%) |
| Proxy interview | 10 (11%) |
| Months between interview before diagnosis and diagnosis (median, IQR) | 13.0 (6.3–19.1) |
| Months between diagnosis and interview after diagnosis (median, IQR) | 12.6 (6.0–18.0) |
| Died within 1 year of diagnosis | 18 (20%) |
| Died within 2 years of diagnosis | 38 (41%) |
BMI body mass index, ADL activities of daily living, IADL instrumental activities of daily living