TABLE 1.
Cohort characteristics (n = 199,872 patients)
| Characteristic | n (%) | % ED visit within 180 d of diagnosis | X2 P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age group, y | <.01 | ||
| 18–30 | 4,597 (2.3) | 36.2 | |
| 31–40 | 8,503 (4.3) | 32.2 | |
| 41–50 | 22,821 (11.4) | 33.2 | |
| 51–60 | 45,066 (22.5) | 33.4 | |
| 61–70 | 53,953 (27.0) | 32.9 | |
| 71–80 | 40,517 (20.3) | 38.1 | |
| >80 | 24,415 (12.2) | 43.4 | |
| Race/ethnicity | <.01 | ||
| White, non-Hispanic | 123,672 (61.9) | 33.6 | |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 13,325 (6.7) | 45.4 | |
| Hispanic | 35,894 (18.0) | 40.6 | |
| Asian | 22,425 (11.2) | 34.4 | |
| Other | 4,556 (2.3) | 20.6 | |
| Sex | .029 | ||
| Women | 101,660 (50.9) | 35.2 | |
| Men | 98,212 (49.1) | 35.7 | |
| Health insurance | <.01 | ||
| Private | 104,841 (52.5) | 30.9 | |
| Medicare | 34,194 (17.1) | 35.7 | |
| Medicaid | 15,543 (7.8) | 53.2 | |
| Medi-Medi | 11,361 (5.7) | 47.6 | |
| Medi-Medi NOS | 19,518 (9.8) | 39.4 | |
| Uninsured | 3,669 (1.8) | 48.1 | |
| Other/unknown | 10,746 (5.4) | 28.7 | |
| SES quintilea | <.01 | ||
| 1st | 28,802 (14.4) | 44.1 | |
| 2nd | 36,790 (18.4) | 39.9 | |
| 3rd | 41,353 (20.7) | 36.5 | |
| 4th | 45,192 (22.6) | 33 | |
| 5th | 47,718 (23.9) | 28.1 | |
| Residenceb | .899 | ||
| Urban | 172,419 (86.3) | 35.4 | |
| Rural/non-urban | 27,436 (13.7) | 35.4 | |
| Marital status | <0.01 | ||
| Married | 111,963 (56.0) | 32.6 | |
| Never married | 33,846 (16.9) | 40 | |
| Divorced | 19,432 (9.7) | 41.3 | |
| Widowed | 23,592 (11.8) | 43.3 | |
| Unknown | 11,039 (5.5) | 23.3 | |
| Disease stagec | <0.01 | ||
| I | 58,205 (29.1) | 22.5 | |
| II | 47,968 (24.0) | 25.8 | |
| III | 27,340 (13.7) | 40.8 | |
| IV | 35,864 (17.9) | 58.2 | |
| Unknown | 30,495 (15.3) | 43.7 | |
| Initial treatmentd | |||
| Chemotherapy | 62,780 (31.4) | 44 | <.01 |
| Surgery | 117,507 (58.8) | 46.8 | <.01 |
| Radiation | 55,966 (28.0) | 27.1 | <.01 |
| Hormone | 26,050 (13.0) | 9.5 | <.01 |
Medi-Medi, Medicaid with Medicare supplement or Medicare with Medicaid eligibility; Medi-Medi NOS, Medicare and or Medicaid not otherwise specified; SES, socio-economic status
SES is reported by the California Cancer Registry (CCR) using the Yang SES and is reported at the block level, the lowest quintile representing lower SES status. This method accounts for seven aspects of socioeconomic status, including: proportion with a blue-collar job, proportion in workforce unemployed, median household income, percent below 200% poverty level, median rent, median value of owner occupied houses, and education,21 17 observations missing.
Rural versus urban residence designations are based on the Medical Service Study Area of residence and California Health Manpower Policy Commission, 2010 US Census, 17 observations missing.
Cancer stage is defined using the commonly-used American Joint Committee on Cancer Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) criteria. Cancers classified as Stage 0 were excluded, the CCR does not consistently track information on these cancers.
Treatment is defined as receiving type of treatment as part of initial therapy as reported by the CCR, groups are not mutually exclusive.