Table 4.
Treatment Options Recommended by Physicians Following BM Diagnosis, Stratified by Group and Physician Workplace
| Recommended Treatment Option (%) | Physiciansa | Patients | Caregivers | P Value for Differences by Groupb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgery | 53 (22.2) | 60 (25.6) | 35 (16.7) | .075 |
| Stereotactic radiation | 126 (52.7) | 56 (23.9) | 35 (16.7) | <.001 |
| Whole brain radiation | 123 (51.5) | 63 (26.9) | 63 (30.1) | <.001 |
| Chemotherapy | 125 (52.3) | 78 (33.3) | 96 (45.9) | <.001 |
| Homeopathic treatment | 12 (5.0) | 20 (8.5) | 12 (5.7) | .261 |
| Participation in a clinical trial | 55 (23.0) | 42 (17.9) | 23 (11.0) | .004 |
| Observation | 18 (7.5) | 33 (14.1) | 33 (15.8) | .017 |
| Recommended Treatment Option (Physicians only) (%) | Privatec | Academic | Other | P Value for Differences Between Private and Academicb |
| Surgery | 30 (27.8) | 10 (14.7) | 12 (19.0) | .067 |
| Stereotactic radiation | 56 (51.9) | 38 (55.9) | 33 (52.4) | .714 |
| Whole brain radiation | 66 (61.1) | 27 (39.7) | 30 (47.6) | .009 |
| Chemotherapy | 56 (51.9) | 33 (48.5) | 36 (57.1) | .784 |
| Homeopathic treatment | 9 (8.3) | 2 (2.9) | 1 (1.6) | .263 |
| Participation in a clinical trial | 24 (22.2) | 17 (25.0) | 13 (20.6) | .809 |
| Observation | 10 (9.3) | 4 (5.9) | 4 (6.3) | .603 |
aThe counts of treatment options recommended by the physician to his/her patient(s) are calculated based on the average of the recommended options across combinations of primary cancer types and brain metastases types.
b P values are generated by a chi-square test.
cPhysician workplace was coded as academic, private (which included “private practice as a solo partner,” “private practice with multiple practitioners,” and “private clinical research”) and other.