Skip to main content

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients with stage III colon cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy in VA, categorized by regimen administered in the first cycle

From: Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer: relative dose intensity and survival among veterans

Characteristic

VA Chemotherapy

5-FU/LV

Oxaliplatin plus 5-FU/LV

Oxaliplatin plus Capecitabine

Capecitabine Monotherapy

Other

p-valuea

N = 367, N (col%)

N = 126, N (col%)

N = 152, N (col%)

N = 30, N (col%)

N = 48, N (col%)

N = 11, N (col%)

Age (mean, SD)

66.4 (9.9)

67.2 (9.3)

63.7 (9.6)

65.6 (9.2)

73.1 (8.5)

66.3 (12.8)

<0.001

Age

      

<0.001

 <55

39 (10.6)

11 (8.7)

23 (15.1)

3 (10.0)

0 (0.0)

2 (18.2)

 

 55-64

131 (35.7)

41 (32.5)

66 (43.4)

13 (43.3)

8 (16.7)

3 (27.3)

 

 65-74

110 (30.0)

45 (35.7)

38 (25.0)

7 (23.3)

17 (35.4)

3 (27.3)

 

 75+

87 (23.7)

29 (23.0)

25 (16.4)

7 (23.3)

23 (47.9)

3 (27.3)

 

Male

360 (98.1)

124 (98.4)

148 (97.4)

30 (100.0)

47 (97.9)

11 (100.0)

0.86

Married

      

0.92

 No

181 (49.3)

62 (49.2)

75 (49.3)

16 (53.3)

24 (50.0)

4 (36.4)

 

 Yes

184 (50.1)

64 (50.8)

75 (49.3)

14 (46.7)

24 (50.0)

7 (63.6)

 

 Missing

2 (0.5)

0 (0.0)

2 (1.3)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 

Race/Ethnicity

      

<0.001

 Hispanic

58 (15.8)

18 (14.3)

32 (21.1)

1 (3.3)

2 (4.2)

5 (45.5)

 

 Black (non-Hispanic)

59 (16.1)

20 (15.9)

25 (16.4)

3 (10.0)

7 (14.6)

4 (36.4)

 

 White (non-Hispanic)

237 (64.6)

83 (65.9)

90 (59.2)

23 (76.7)

39 (81.3)

2 (18.2)

 

 Other/missing

13 (3.5)

5 (4.0)

5 (3.3)

3 (10.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 

Charlson Comorbidity Index b (mean, SD)

1.1 (1.7)

1.3 (1.8)

1.1 (1.9)

0.8 (1.4)

1.2 (1.2)

1.1 (1.0)

0.14

Tumor

      

0.52

 T1

16 (4.4)

4 (3.2)

7 (4.6)

1 (3.3)

3 (6.3)

1 (9.1)

 

 T2

45 (12.3)

15 (11.9)

16 (10.5)

5 (16.7)

9 (18.8)

0 (0.0)

 

 T3

275 (74.9)

94 (74.6)

119 (78.3)

23 (76.7)

31 (64.6)

8 (72.7)

 

 T4

31 (8.4)

13 (10.3)

10 (6.6)

1 (3.3)

5 (10.4)

2 (18.2)

 

Node

      

0.51

 N1

235 (64.0)

87 (69.0)

96 (63.2)

18 (60.0)

28 (58.3)

6 (54.5)

 

 N2

132 (36.0)

39 (31.0)

56 (36.8)

12 (40.0)

20 (41.7)

5 (45.5)

 

Histologic type

      

<0.001

 Adenocarcinoma

340 (92.6)

118 (93.7)

147 (96.7)

21 (70.0)

45 (93.8)

9 (81.8)

 

 Unknown

24 (6.5)

8 (6.3)

3 (2.0)

9 (30.0)

3 (6.3)

1 (9.1)

 

 Other

3 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

2 (1.3)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (9.1)

 

Histologic grade

      

0.68

 Well differentiated

35 (9.5)

15 (11.9)

10 (6.6)

2 (6.7)

7 (14.6)

1 (9.1)

 

 Moderately differentiated

247 (67.3)

81 (64.3)

107 (70.4)

23 (76.7)

29 (60.4)

7 (63.6)

 

 Poorly differentiated

68 (18.5)

25 (19.8)

27 (17.8)

4 (13.3)

10 (20.8)

2 (18.2)

 

 Undifferentiated

4 (1.1)

0 (0.0)

4 (2.6)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 

 Unknown

13 (3.5)

5 (4.0)

4 (2.6)

1 (3.3)

2 (4.2)

1 (9.1)

 

Number of lymph nodes evaluated

      

0.03

 <12

132 (36.0)

53 (42.1)

48 (31.6)

8 (26.7)

19 (39.6)

4 (36.4)

 

 12+

229 (62.4)

68 (54.0)

104 (68.4)

22 (73.3)

29 (60.4)

6 (54.5)

 

 Missing

6 (1.6)

5 (4.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (9.1)

 

Number of lymph nodes evaluated (mean, SD)

15.6 (8.9)

14.3 (8.5)

16.6 (9.2)

16.5 (10.0)

15.1 (8.8)

15.3 (7.0)

0.11

Number of positive lymph nodes (mean, SD) (N = 366)

3.8 (4.0)

3.4 (3.8)

3.9 (3.9)

4.8 (5.2)

3.6 (3.5)

6.0 (5.7)

0.10

Preoperative CEA

      

0.68

 <5 ng/ml

178 (48.5)

60 (47.6)

78 (51.3)

14 (46.7)

20 (41.7)

6 (54.5)

 

 ≥5 ng/ml

84 (22.9)

32 (25.4)

36 (23.7)

6 (20.0)

8 (16.7)

2 (18.2)

 

 Missing

105 (28.6)

34 (27.0)

38 (25.0)

10 (33.3)

20 (41.7)

3 (27.3)

 

Preoperative CEA (mean, SD) (N = 262)

8.0 (15.2)

9.4 (18.8)

7.8 (14.2)

4.8 (6.3)

7.1 (11.5)

5.2 (6.3)

0.48

Lymphovascular invasion

      

0.003

 Yes

134 (36.5)

41 (32.5)

62 (40.8)

10 (33.3)

17 (35.4)

4 (36.4)

 

 No

103 (28.1)

26 (20.6)

41 (27.0)

17 (56.7)

17 (35.4)

2 (18.2)

 

 Unknown

130 (35.4)

59 (46.8)

49 (32.2)

3 (10.0)

14 (29.2)

5 (45.5)

 

Perineural invasion

      

0.01

 Yes

38 (10.4)

8 (6.3)

17 (11.2)

4 (13.3)

6 (12.5)

3 (27.3)

 

 No

102 (27.8)

28 (22.2)

45 (29.6)

15 (50.0)

13 (27.1)

1 (9.1)

 

 Unknown

227 (61.9)

90 (71.4)

90 (59.2)

11 (36.7)

29 (60.4)

7 (63.6)

 

Bowel obstruction

      

0.89

 Yes

75 (20.4)

27 (21.4)

26 (17.1)

7 (23.3)

13 (27.1)

2 (18.2)

 

 No

168 (45.8)

56 (44.4)

73 (48.0)

14 (46.7)

21 (43.8)

4 (36.4)

 

 Unknown

124 (33.8)

43 (34.1)

53 (34.9)

9 (30.0)

14 (29.2)

5 (45.5)

 

Perforation

      

0.19

 Yes

21 (5.7)

13 (10.3)

5 (3.3)

2 (6.7)

0 (0.0)

1 (9.1)

 

 No

229 (62.4)

74 (58.7)

94 (61.8)

20 (66.7)

34 (70.8)

7 (63.6)

 

 Unknown

117 (31.9)

39 (31.0)

53 (34.9)

8 (26.7)

14 (29.2)

3 (27.3)

 

Margins

      

0.003

 All margins histologically negative

307 (83.7)

100 (79.4)

138 (90.8)

20 (66.7)

39 (81.3)

10 (90.9)

 

 1 or more margins included

25 (6.8)

9 (7.1)

10 (6.6)

2 (6.7)

4 (8.3)

0 (0.0)

 

 Unknown

35 (9.5)

17 (13.5)

4 (2.6)

8 (26.7)

5 (10.4)

1 (9.1)

 

ECOG performance status c

      

0.006

 0

96 (26.2)

26 (20.6)

52 (34.2)

7 (23.3)

6 (12.5)

5 (45.5)

 

 1

44 (12.0)

19 (15.1)

14 (9.2)

2 (6.7)

8 (16.7)

1 (9.1)

 

 2 -4

20 (5.4)

8 (6.3)

3 (2.0)

1 (3.3)

7 (14.6)

1 (9.1)

 

 Missing or unknown

207 (56.4)

73 (57.9)

83 (54.6)

20 (66.7)

27 (56.3)

4 (36.4)

 

Days between surgery and start of chemotherapy

      

0.053

 ≤30

12 (3.3)

5 (4.0)

4 (2.6)

0 (0.0)

3 (6.3)

0 (0.0)

 

 31-60

232 (63.2)

95 (75.4)

85 (55.9)

19 (63.3)

27 (56.3)

6 (54.5)

 

 61-90

90 (24.5)

21 (16.7)

45 (29.6)

7 (23.3)

13 (27.1)

4 (36.4)

 

 91-120

33 (9.0)

5 (4.0)

18 (11.8)

4 (13.3)

5 (10.4)

1 (9.1)

 
  1. 5-FU/LV = 5-fluouracil/leucovorin; CEA = carcinoembryonic antigen; ECOG = Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.
  2. aChi-square tests or Fisher exact tests for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variable of age.
  3. bMalignancy was removed from the Charlson Comorbidity Index because all patients have colon cancer.
  4. cECOG performance status prior to initiation of chemotherapy.
Back to article page

BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

Contact us