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Table 1 Sample characteristics at baseline

From: Preventing adverse events of chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer by educating patients about the nocebo effect: a randomized-controlled trial

 

Total Sample

(N = 100)

EG (n = 49)

CG (n = 51)

Na

N

%

N

%

Age, years (M, SD)

60.22 (11.45)

58.53

12.39

61.84

10.20

Gender (female)

35

15

30.6

20

39.2

Education

     

 ≤ 10 year of school

56

25

51

31

60.8

 13 years of school

23

12

24.5

11

21.6

 University degree

21

12

24.5

9

17.6

Employment status

 Employed

51

27

55.1

24

47.1

 Freelancer

20

8

16.3

12

23.5

 Homemaker

5

2

4.1

3

5.9

 Unemployed

2

2

4.1

0

0

 Pensioner

22

10

20.4

12

23.5

Location

 University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf

91

45

91.8

46

90.2

 Cooperating practice

9

4

8.2

5

9.8

Healthcare professionalb

 BSc Psychologist (female)

35

19

37.3

16

45.7

 Medical doctoral candidate (male)

65

32

62.7

33

32.7

Cancer Staging (UICC)

 l

4

2

4.1

2

3.9

 ll

5

3

6.1

2

3.9

 lll

37

14

28.6

23

45.1

 IV

54

30

61.2

24

47.1

Type of cancer

 Upper gastrointestinal tract

31

10

20.4

21

41.2

 Lower gastrointestinal tract

35

22

44.9

13

25.5

 Gallbladder & biliary tract

8

4

8.2

4

7.8

 Cancer of unknown primary

3

2

4.1

1

2.0

 Liver

1

1

2.0

1

2.0

 Pancreas

10

10

20.4

11

21.6

Type of chemotherapy

 Adjuvant

25

14

28.6

11

21.6

 Neoadjuvant

24

9

18.4

15

29.4

 Palliative

49

24

49.0

25

49.0

 Additive

2

2

4.1

0

0

 Additional radiation therapy

12

5

10.2

7

13.7

First-line chemotherapy regimen

 Fluoropyrimidine/ platin doubletc

37

18

36.7

19

37.2

 Fluoropyrimidine/ platin tripletd

14

5

10.2

9

17.7

 Platin-based doublete

25

16

32.7

9

17.7

 Other doubletsf

7

2

4.1

5

9.8

 Monotherapyg

11

7

14.3

4

7.8

 Missing information

6

1

2.0

5

9.8

 Physical comorbidity present

40

17

34.7

23

45.1

 High distress (≥ 5)h

71

35

71.4

36

70.6

 Distress (M, SD)i

5.74 (2.89)

5.75

2.83

5.73

2.98

 Compliance intention

9.09 (1.41)

9.01

1.54

9.17

1.29

 Attitude towards chemotherapy (M, SD)j

7.85 (2.19)

7.78

2.32

7.92

2.07

 Perceived efficacy of the chemotherapy (M, SD)k

8.72 (1.52)

8.67

1.62

8.78

1.44

 Desire for information about AEs (M, SD)l

6.92 (3.01)

6.98

2.93

6.86

3.11

 Expected AEs (M, SD)l

3.85 (1.86)

3.94

1.73

3.75

2.00

 Expected control of AEs (M, SD)l

4.72 (1.95)

4.86

1.94

4.59

1.97

  1. AEs adverse events, CG attention control group, EG nocebo education group, UICC Union for International Cancer Control
  2. aAs overall sample size is N = 100, percentages equal numbers
  3. bThe healthcare professional delivered the nocebo education or conducted the quality of life interview in the attention control group
  4. cFOLFOX (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil & oxaliplatin), FUFOX (high dosage 5-fluorouracil, folic acid & oxaliplatin), CAPOX (capecitabine + oxaliplatin), FLO (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin & oxaliplatin)
  5. dFOLFIRINOX (5-fluorouracil, irinotecan & oxaliplatin), FLOT (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin & docetaxel)
  6. ecarboplatin + etoposide, carboplatin + taxane, GEM (gemcitabine) + cisplatin, cisplatin + CAP (capecitabine), 5-FU (fluorouracil) + cisplatin
  7. fFOLFIRI (5-FU, folic acid & irinotecan), CAP / 5-FU + mitomycin, GEM + taxane
  8. g5-FU, GEM, CAP
  9. hGroups were stratified for distress
  10. iScale ranges from 1 to 10
  11. jScale ranges from 0 to 10, higher values indicate a more positive attitude
  12. kScale ranges from 0 to 10, higher values indicate believing in the efficacy
  13. lIndicated for n = 99 patients at T1post
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BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

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