Table 1 Description of the sample and determination of the differences between the subgroups non-participants and participants as well as groups A and B. Statistical differences (determined by F-test or chi-square test) are marked with asterisks

Number of patients [n]

147

356

133

223

Age at enrolment [m (sd)]

55.7 (11.1)**

58.7 (10.9)**

57.9 (10.7)

59.2 (11.0)

Age grouped by median

under 59 years old

54.4% (80/147)

46.9% (167/356)

53.4% (71/133)

43.0% (96/223)

60 + years old

45.6% (67/147)

53.1% (189/356)

46.6% (62/133)

57.0% (127/223)

Gender

Female

60.5% (89/147)**

72.8% (259/356)**

71.4% (95/133)

73.5% (164/223)

Male

39.5% (58/147)**

27.2% (97/356)**

28.6% (38/133)

26.5% (59/223)

Marital status

Single

19.0% (28/147)

12.4% (44/356)

12.0% (16/133)

12.6% (28/223)

Married

61.9% (91/147)

68.5% (244/356)

69.9% (93/133)

67.7% (151/223)

Divorced

11.6% (17/147)

11.2% (40/356)

10.5% (14/133)

11.7% (26/223)

Widowed

7.5% (11/147)

7.9% (28/356)

7.5% (10/133)

8.1% (18/223)

Living with the partner

75.9% (110/145)

75.1% (263/350)

72.2% (96/133)

77.0% (167/217)

Children living in the household

31.3% (45/144)*

21.9% (76/347)*

28.3% (36/127)*

18.2% (40/220)*

Financial worries

23.4% (33/141)*

13.6% (48/353)*

19.8% (26/131)**

9.9% (22/222)**

Years of education (school + vocational)

[m (sd)]

11.9 (3.2)

12.3 (3.1)

12.4 (3.3)

12.2 (2.9)

School level

< 10 years of school

49.0% (72/147)

48.3% (172/356)

51.1% (68/133)

46.6% (104/223)

10 years of school

31.3% (46/147)

24.7% (88/356)

18.0% (24/133)

28.7% (64/223)

> 10 years of school

19.7% (29/147)

27.0% (96/356)

30.8% (41/133)

24.7% (55/223)

Period of the most recent illness

up to 1 year (acute)

85.5% (112/131)

79.5% (268/337)

71.5% (88/123)*

84.1% (180/214)*

2–5 years

9.2% (12/131)

16.0% (54/337)

21.1% (26/123)*

13.1% (28/214)*

> 6 years

5.3% (7/131)

4.5% (15/337)

7.3% (9/123)*

2.8% (6/214)*

Types of cancer grouped

Gastrointestinal (C00-25)

23.8% (35/147)

18.8% (67/356)

20.3% (27/133)

17.9% (40/223)

Lung and larynx (C32-34)

13.6% (20/147)

9.0% (32/356)

12.0% (16/133)

7.2% (16/223)

Female genitals incl. breast (C50-56)

44.9% (66/147)

53.9% (192/356)

48.1% (64/133)

57.4% (128/223)

Male genitals (C61-62)

6.1% (9/147)

4.2% (15/356)

3.8% (5/133)

4.5% (10/223)

Leukaemia, Lymphoma (C81-96)

9.5% (14/147)

12.4% (44/356)

10.5% (14/133)

13.5% (30/223)

Other

10.9% (16/147)

9.6% (34/356)

13.5% (18/133)

7.2% (16/223)

Cancer attributes

Tumour spread

47.6% (70/147)

49.4% (176/356)

48.9% (65/133)

49.8% (111/223)

Lymph node metastases

20.4% (30/147)

18.3% (65/356)

21.1% (28/133)

16.6% (37/223)

Distant metastases

15.0% (22/147)

10.7% (38/356)

7.5% (10/133)

12.6% (28/223)

Relapse

2.7% (4/147)

2.5% (9/356)

3.8% (5/133)

1.8% (4/223)

Cancer treatment at baseline

no active cancer treatment, no ongoing rehabilitation

14.3% (21/147)

17.4% (62/356)

24.1% (32/133)*

13.5% (30/223)*

active cancer treatment

82.3% (121/147)

80.4% (286/356)

72.2% (96/133)*

85.2% (190/223)*

only ongoing rehabilitation

3.4% (5/147)

2.2% (8/356)

3.8% (5/133)*

1.3% (3/223)*