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. 2022 Mar 28;5(3):e224304. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.4304

Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Patients With Cancer and COVID-19 Diagnosis.

Characteristic Participants, No. (%) Absolute standardized mean difference
Total (N = 3506) Black (n = 1068) White (n = 2438) Unweighted Weighted
Age, median (IQR), ya 67 (58-77) 65 (57-74) 68 (58-78) 0.163 0.046
Sex
Female 1768 (50) 556 (52) 1212 (50) 0.048 0.023
Male 1736 (50) 511 (48) 1225 (50) 0.048 0.023
Missing or unknownb 2 (<1) 1 (<1) 1 (<1) NA NA
Smoking status
Never 1742 (50) 532 (50) 1210 (50) 0.012 0.005
Ever 1647 (47) 496 (46) 1161 (48) 0.012 0.005
Missing or unknownb 107 (3) 40 (4) 67 (3) NA NA
Obesityc
No 2075 (59) 581 (54) 1494 (61) 0.139 0.004
Yes 1405 (40) 480 (45) 925 (38) 0.139 0.004
Missing or unknownb 26 (1) 7 (1) 19 (1) NA NA
Comorbiditiesd
Cardiovascular 1245 (36) 338 (32) 907 (37) 0.117 0.007
Pulmonary 822 (23) 246 (23) 576 (24) 0.012 0.003
Kidney disease 640 (18) 248 (23) 392 (16) 0.180 0.002
Diabetes 985 (28) 411 (38) 574 (24) 0.328 0.069
Missing or unknownb 33 (1) 10 (1) 23 (1) NA NA
Charlson Comorbidity Index score, median (IQR)e 1 (0-2) 1 (0-3) 1 (0-2) 0.190 0.061
Type of malignant neoplasmd
Solid tumor 2886 (82) 869 (81) 2017 (83) 0.036 0.012
Hematological neoplasm 745 (21) 228 (21) 517 (21) 0.003 0.024
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status
0 1192 (34) 368 (34) 824 (34) 0.014 0.002
1 903 (26) 316 (30) 587 (24) 0.128 0.019
≥2 586 (17) 185 (17) 401 (16) 0.024 0.008
Unknownb 820 (23) 196 (18) 624 (26) 0.175 0.028
Missingb 5 (<1) 3 (<1) 2 (<1) NA NA
Cancer status
Remission or no evidence of disease 1901 (54) 555 (52) 1346 (55) 0.064 0.035
Active and responding 352 (10) 123 (12) 229 (9) 0.070 0.008
Active and stable 551 (16) 160 (15) 391 (16) 0.029 0.012
Active and progressing 432 (12) 140 (13) 292 (12) 0.035 0.011
Unknownb 266 (8) 88 (8) 178 (7) 0.035 0.027
Missingb 4 (<1) 2 (<1) 2 (<1) NA NA
Timing of anticancer therapy
Never treated 276 (8) 76 (7) 200 (8) 0.049 0.029
0-4 wk before COVID-19 diagnosis 1046 (30) 352 (33) 694 (28) 0.098 0.006
1-3 mo before COVID-19 diagnosis 256 (7) 72 (7) 184 (8) 0.031 0.017
>3 mo before COVID-19 diagnosis 1763 (50) 523 (49) 1240 (51) 0.038 0.017
Missing or unknownb 165 (5) 45 (4) 120 (5) NA NA
Modality of active anticancer therapyf,g
None 2076 (59) 603 (56) 1473 (60) 0.080 0.016
Cytotoxic chemotherapy 504 (14) 178 (17) 326 (13) 0.094 0.012
Targeted therapy 444 (13) 153 (14) 291 (12) 0.076 0.005
Endocrine therapy 344 (10) 106 (10) 238 (10) 0.010 0.004
Immunotherapy 165 (5) 36 (3) 129 (5) 0.092 0.005
Locoregional therapy 309 (9) 81 (8) 228 (9) 0.065 0.011
Other 25 (1) 10 (1) 15 (1) 0.036 0.001
Missing or unknownb 128 (4) 41 (4) 87 (4) NA NA
Insurance
Medicaid alone 138 (4) 70 (7) 68 (3) 0.179 0.179
Medicare alone 895 (26) 257 (24) 638 (26) 0.049 0.020
Medicare or Medicaid with or without other 78 (2) 31 (3) 47 (2) 0.064 0.082
Other government with or without other 52 (1) 24 (2) 28 (1) 0.085 0.116
Private with or without other 909 (26) 215 (20) 694 (28) 0.195 0.192
Uninsured 33 (1) 14 (1) 19 (1) 0.052 0.038
Missing or unknownb 1401 (40) 457 (43) 944 (39) NA NA
Month of COVID-19 diagnosis
January to April 2020 1369 (39) 460 (43) 909 (37) 0.114 0.030
May to August 2020 1796 (51) 565 (53) 1231 (50) 0.044 0.011
September to November 2020 324 (9) 41 (4) 283 (12) 0.294 0.066
Missing or unknownb 17 (<1) 2 (<1) 15 (1) NA NA
Region of patient’s residence
Northeast 1035 (30) 284 (27) 751 (31) 0.088 0.003
Midwest 1294 (37) 426 (40) 868 (36) 0.093 0.012
South 688 (20) 296 (28) 392 (16) 0.284 0.002
West 415 (12) 44 (4) 371 (15) 0.382 0.015
Not designated 74 (2) 18 (2) 56 (2) 0.044 0.013

Abbreviation: NA, not applicable.

a

For patients younger than 18 years, age was truncated to 18 years; for patients older than 89 years, age was truncated to 90 years. Truncation was done in concordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and to reduce the risk of reidentifiability.

b

The missing or unknown category indicates either missingness because of nonresponse for optional survey questions or a response of unknown; an unknown category was provided for all survey questions. For the missing or unknown category, standardized mean differences are not provided because these were calculated from imputed data.

c

Refers to patients reported to have obesity or to have a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) greater than 30.

d

Percentages could sum to greater than 100% because categories are not mutually exclusive.

e

Modified Klabunde index is used. Klabunde is a modification of the Charlson Comorbidity Index.

f

Refers to within 3 months before COVID-19 diagnosis.

g

Five percent of patients (n = 188) were receiving radiation treatment (52 Black patients [5%] and 136 White patients [6%]).