Table 1.
Demographic and clinical/caregiving characteristics of the sample (n = 125)
| Characteristics | Patients (n = 77) | Caregivers (n = 48) |
|---|---|---|
| Age at interview, yr | ||
| Mean (SD) | 67.4 (12.4) | 55.9 (14.1) |
| Range | 35–87 | 26–81 |
| Sex, n (%) | ||
| Female | 35 (45.5) | 33 (68.75) |
| Male | 42 (54.5) | 15 (31.25) |
| Education, n (%) | ||
| Primary school | 7 (9.1) | 3 (6.3) |
| Secondary school | 25 (32.5) | 10 (20.8) |
| College | 34 (44.2) | 18 (37.5) |
| Bachelor's degree | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Graduate degree | 5 (6.5) | 12 (25) |
| Missing data | 6 (7.8) | 5 (10.4) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | ||
| White | 66 (85.7) | 42 (87.5) |
| Arabian | 3 (3.9) | 0 (0) |
| Missing data | 8 (10.4) | 6 (12.5) |
| Religion, n (%) | ||
| Catholic | 45 (58.4) | 33 (68.8) |
| Muslim | 3 (3.9) | 0 (0) |
| Evangelical | 1 (1.3) | 1 (2.1) |
| Jehovah's Witness | 1 (1.3) | 1 (2.1) |
| Atheist | 20 (26) | 8 (16.7) |
| Missing data | 7 (9.1) | 5 (10.4) |
| Cancer diagnosis, n (%) | ||
| Solid | 66 (85.7) | 34 (70.8) |
| Head, neck, larynx | 5 (6.5) | — |
| Rectum, sigma | 1 (1.3) | — |
| Colon | 8 (10.4) | — |
| Gastric | 9 (11.7) | — |
| Pancreas | 5 (6.5) | — |
| Breast | 12 (15.6) | — |
| Lung | 8 (10.4) | — |
| Genitourinary (kidney, testis, prostate, ovary) | 11 (14.3) | — |
| Skin | 2 (2.6) | — |
| Sarcoma | 3 (3.9) | — |
| Missing data | 2 (2.6) | — |
| Hematologic | 11 (14.3) | 14 (29.2) |
| Time since first EPC consult, mo | ||
| Mean (SD) | 11.9 (16.6) | 12.6 (13.1) |
| Range | 2–96 | 2–48 |
| KPS score at first EPC consult, median (IQR) | ||
| 0–100 | 60 (50–60) | — |
| NRS pain score at first EPC consult, median (IQR) | ||
| 0–10 | 7 (6–8) | — |
| Active CT at first EPC consult, n (%) | 52 (72.2) | — |
| Relationship to patient, n (%) | ||
| Parent | — | 1 (2.1) |
| Spouse/partner | — | 22 (45.8) |
| Daughter/son | — | 19 (39.6) |
| Sister/brother | — | 2 (4.2) |
| Other family | — | 2 (4.2) |
| Missing data | — | 2 (4.2) |
Abbreviations: —, no data; CT, chemotherapy; EPC, early palliative care; IQR, interquartile range; KPS, Karnofsky Performance Status; NRS, Numerical Rating Scale.