Table 2.
Timing of referral in the pre‐evidence and post‐evidence cohorts
| Variable | Pre‐evidence (n = 337) | Post‐evidence (n = 415) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral timing (mo before death), n (%) | |||
| Late (≤6 mo) | 232 (68.8) | 186 (44.8) | <.0001 |
| Intermediate (>6 to 12 mo) | 60 (17.8) | 100 (24.1) | |
| Early (>12 mo) | 45 (13.4) | 129 (31.1) | |
| Time since cancer diagnosis, yr | |||
| Mean ± SD | 3.3 ± 4.9 | 2.8 ± 4.3 | .048 |
| Median (range) | 1.6 (0–49.8) | 1.3 (0–39.9) | |
| Time from referral to death, in mo a | |||
| Median (95% CI) | 3.5 (2.9–4.1) | 7.0 (6.1–7.9) | <.0001 |
a
Median time from referral to death and 95% CI were estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and compared using the log‐rank test; 63 patients remained alive in post‐evidence and were censored at their last known alive date.
Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval.