Table 1 Patients baseline characteristics

Study site

 Study site 1

119 (32.9%)

43 (28.7%)

76 (35.8%)

 Study site 2

98 (27.1%)

31 (20.7%)

67 (31.6%)

 Study site 3

145 (40.1%)

76 (50.7%)

69 (32.5%)

Age (years)

 Mean (SD) [Min, Max]

63 (13) [19, 85]

66 (13) [24, 85]

62 (13) [19, 85]

Sex

 Male

219 (60.5%)

87 (58.0%)

132 (62.3%)

 Female

143 (39.5%)

63 (42.0%)

80 (37.7%)

Family status

n = 333

n = 124

n = 209

 Married

226 (67.9%)

89 (71.8%)

137 (65.6%)

 Single

44 (13.2%)

18 (14.5%)

26 (12.4%)

 Divorced/Widowed

63 (18.9%)

17 (13.7%)

46 (22.0%)

Care level

n = 329

n = 123

n = 206

 None

266 (80.9%)

98 (79.7%)

168 (81.6%)

 Yes

63 (19.1%)

25 (20.3%)

38 (18.4%)

    Care level 1

7 (11.1%)

4 (17%)

3 (8%)

 Care level 2

26 (41.3%)

11 (46%)

15 (38%)

 Care level 3

21 (33.3%)

6 (25%)

15 (38%)

 Care level 4

9 (14.3%)

3 (13%)

6 (15%)

Time since diagnosis (months)

 Median (P25, P75)

6 (2, 22)

5 (1, 26)

7 (2, 19)

 < 12 months

227 (62.7%)

89 (59.3%)

138 (65.1%)

 12 – 60 months

108 (29.8%)

46 (30.7%)

62 (29.2%)

 > 60 months

27 (7.5%)

15 (10.0%)

12 (5.7%)

Diagnosis

 Acute leukemia

69 (19.1%)

19 (12.7%)

50 (23.6%)

 Aggressive lymphoma

58 (16.0%)

20 (13.3%)

38 (17.9%)

 Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung

62 (17.1%)

33 (22.0%)

29 (13.7%)

 Metastasized colorectal cancer

78 (21.6%)

34 (22.7%)

44 (20.8%)

 Malignant neoplasm of pancreas

32 (8.8%)

17 (11.3%)

15 (7.1%)

 Multiple myeloma and malignant plasma cell neoplasms

24 (6.6%)

6 (4.0%)

18 (8.5%)

 Metastasized malignant neoplasm of breast

9 (2.5%)

4 (2.7%)

5 (2.4%)

 Others

30 (8.3%)

17 (11.3%)

13 (6.1%)

Duration of living in Germany (years)

n = 332

n = 125

n = 207

 Since birth

287 (86.5%)

107 (85.6%)

180 (87.0%)

 < 5 years

4 (1.2%)

1 (0.8%)

3 (1.4%)

 ≥ 5 years

41 (12.3%)

17 (13.6%)

24 (11.6%)

Education

n = 336

n = 125

n = 211

 Low

29 (8.6%)

19 (15.2%)

10 (4.7%)

 Medium

101 (30.1%)

38 (30.4%)

63 (29.9%)

 High

206 (61.3%)

68 (54.4%)

138 (65.4%)

Financial Situation

n = 331

n = 123

n = 208

 Very good

28 (8.5%)

9 (7.3%)

19 (9.1%)

 Good

173 (52.3%)

65 (52.8%)

108 (51.9%)

 Moderate

91 (27.5%)

37 (30.1%)

54 (26.0%)

 Difficult

28 (8.5%)

9 (7.3%)

19 (9.1%)

 Very difficult

11 (3.3%)

3 (2.4%)

8 (3.8%)

Subjective Social Status (MacArthur Scale)

n = 314

n = 122

n = 201

 Mean (SD)

6.3 (1.5)

6.1 (1.4)

6.4 (1.5)

Social support (OSSS-3)

n = 332

n = 124

n = 208

 Mean (SD)

11.0 (2.1)

10.8 (2.1)

11.1 (2.1)

 Poor (3 – 8)

35 (10.5%)

15 (12.1%)

20 (9.6%)

 Moderate (9 – 11)

158 (47.6%)

60 (48.4%)

98 (47.1%)

 Strong (12 – 14)

139 (41.9%)

49 (39.5%)

90 (43.3%)