Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of 209 breast cancer survivors surveyed about lymphedema
Not referred to lymphedema therapy, n = 156 No. (%) | Referred to lymphedema therapy, n = 53 No. (%) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Age | 0.02 | ||
18–44 | 32 (21) | 17 (32) | |
45–54 | 41 (26) | 9 (17) | |
55–64 | 38 (24) | 20 (38) | |
65+ | 45 (29) | 7 (13) | |
Education | 0.67 | ||
< Bachelor’s | 55 (35) | 17 (32) | |
Bachelors+ | 101 (65) | 36 (68) | |
Race/Ethnicity | 0.46 | ||
Asian | 15 (10) | 2 (4) | |
Black | 19 (12) | 8 (15) | |
Hispanic/Latina | 16 (10) | 5 (9) | |
White | 100 (65) | 38 (72) | |
Mixed or other | 4 (3) | 0 (0) | |
Patient-reported lymphedema diagnosis | < 0.01 | ||
No | 142 (91) | 21 (40) | |
Yes | 13 (8) | 32 (60) | |
Nodal procedure | < 0.01 | ||
Sentinel lymph node biopsy | 96 (62) | 15 (28) | |
Axillary lymph node dissection | 60 (38) | 38 (72) | |
Radiation therapy | < 0.01 | ||
No | 58 (37) | 7 (13) | |
Yes | 98 (63) | 46 (87) | |
Chemotherapy | < 0.01 | ||
No | 57 (37) | 7 (13) | |
Yes | 99 (63) | 46 (87) | |
Surgery | 0.41 | ||
Lumpectomy | 73 (48) | 22 (42) | |
Mastectomy | 79 (52) | 31 (58) | |
Time from survey to diagnosis [years, median (IQR)] | 3.3 (1.8–5.2) | 2.7 (2.1–4.7) | 0.75 |
Lymphedema therapist is info source* | 5 (3) | 37 (70) | < 0.01 |
Doctor is info source* | 77 (49) | 20 (38) | 0.14 |
Nurse is info source* | 36 (23) | 10 (19) | 0.52 |
Friends, internet, or support group are info source* | 38 (24) | 19 (35) | 0.11 |