Sociodemographic characteristics and early-stage triple-negative breast cancer-related medical history of patients and professional characteristics of doctors
| Sociodemographic characteristics of patients | Overall (n=115) | AU (n=16) | KR (n=30) | JP (n=20) | PH (n=19) | TW (n=30) |
| Median (Q1–Q3) age, years | 44.0 (38.0–56.5) | 57.0 (51.5–64.0) | 47.5 (41.0–57.0) | 47.0 (40.8–57.3) | 50.0 (39.0–56.5) | 38.0 (34.3–42.8) |
| Race | ||||||
| Asian, n (%) | 101 (87.8) | 2 (12.5) | 30 (100.0) | 20 (100.0) | 19 (100.0) | 30 (100.0) |
| Caucasian, n (%) | 13 (11.3) | 13 (81.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Aboriginal, n (%) | 1 (0.9) | 1 (6.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Marital status | ||||||
| Single, n (%) | 19 (16.5) | 2 (12.5) | 4 (13.3) | 3 (15.0) | 1 (5.3) | 9 (30.0) |
| Married domestic partner, n (%) | 78 (67.8) | 6 (37.5) | 22 (73.4) | 15 (75.0) | 14 (73.7) | 21 (70.0) |
| Divorced/ separated/widowed, n (%) | 18 (15.7) | 8 (50.0) | 4 (13.3) | 2 (10.0) | 4 (21.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Have children, n (%) | 88 (76.5) | 14 (87.5) | 24 (80.0) | 15 (85.0) | 16 (84.2) | 19 (63.3) |
| Median (Q1–Q3) age of youngest child, years | 15.0 (8.5–25.5) | 25.0 (15.0–33.8) | 20.0 (12.5–29.3) | 21.5 (7.5–27.5) | 17.0 (12.0–25.5) | 7.0 (5.0–12.5) |
| Educational level | ||||||
| Primary high school, n (%) | 15 (13.0) | 4 (25.0) | 9 (30.0) | 1 (5.0) | 1 (5.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Certification programme/vocational school, n (%) | 12 (10.4) | 3 (18.8) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (30.0) | 3 (15.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| University degree, n (%) | 80 (69.6) | 6 (37.4) | 19 (63.3) | 13 (65.0) | 14 (73.7) | 28 (93.3) |
| Postgraduatee degree, n (%) | 8 (7.0) | 3 (18.8) | 2 (6.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (5.3) | 2 (6.7) |
| Employment status | ||||||
| Full-time, n (%) | 46 (40.0) | 2 (12.5) | 6 (20.0) | 7 (35.0) | 3 (15.8) | 28 (93.3) |
| Part-time, n (%) | 9 (7.8) | 4 (25.0) | 2 (6.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (5.3) | 2 (6.7) |
| Homemaker, n (%) | 32 (27.8) | 2 (12.5) | 14 (46.7) | 7 (35.0) | 9 (47.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Retired unemployed leave of absence, n (%) | 18 (15.7) | 4 (25.0) | 5 (16.7) | 3 (15.0) | 6 (31.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Others*, n (%) | 10 (8.7) | 4 (25.0) | 3 (10.0) | 3 (15.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Duration since diagnosis of eTNBC | ||||||
| ≤2 years, n (%) | 63 (54.8) | 0 (0.0) | 18 (60.0) | 11 (55.0) | 14 (73.6) | 20 (66.7) |
| 2 to 5 years, n (%) | 30 (26.1) | 6 (37.5) | 7 (23.3) | 4 (20.0) | 4 (21.1) | 9 (30.0) |
| 5 to 10 years, n (%) | 10 (8.7) | 4 (25.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (20.0) | 1 (5.3) | 1 (3.3) |
| ≥10 years, n (%) | 12 (10.4) | 6 (37.5) | 5 (16.7) | 1 (5.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Age at diagnosis | ||||||
| ≤40 years, n (%) | 53 (46.1) | 3 (18.8) | 11 (36.7) | 7 (35.0) | 7 (36.8) | 25 (83.3) |
| 40 to 59 years, n (%) | 52 (45.2) | 11 (68.8) | 16 (53.3) | 12 (60.0) | 8 (42.1) | 5 (16.7) |
| ≥60 years, n (%) | 10 (8.7) | 2 (12.5) | 3 (10.0) | 1 (5.0) | 4 (21.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Stage of eTNBC at diagnosis | ||||||
| Stage 1, n (%) | 43 (37.4) | 5 (31.3) | 9 (30.0) | 8 (40.0) | 0 (0.0) | 21 (70.0) |
| Stage 2, n (%) | 51 (44.3) | 7 (43.8) | 14 (46.7) | 10 (50.0) | 11 (57.9) | 9 (30.0) |
| Stage 3, n (%) | 19 (16.5) | 4 (25.0) | 6 (20.0) | 1 (5.0) | 8 (42.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Others†/ don’t know, n (%) | 2 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (3.3) | 1 (5.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| History of breast surgery | ||||||
| Mastectomy, n (%) | 35 (30.4) | 6 (37.5) | 5 (16.7) | 8 (40.0) | 14 (73.7) | 2 (6.7) |
| BCS, n (%) | 50 (43.5) | 9 (56.3) | 13 (43.3) | 11 (55.0) | 2 (10.5) | 15 (50.0) |
| Yes but unaware what type, n (%) | 5 (4.4) | 1 (6.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (5.3) | 3 (10.0) |
| Did not undergo surgery, n (%) | 25 (21.7) | 0 (0.0) | 12 (40.0) | 1 (5.0) | 2 (10.5) | 10 (33.3) |
| Receiving breast cancer treatment at the time of the survey | ||||||
| Chemotherapy, n (%) | 69 (60.0) | 0 (0.0) | 15 (50.0) | 12 (60.0) | 18 (94.7) | 24 (80.0) |
| Others‡, n (%) | 14 (12.2) | 2 (12.5) | 5 (16.7) | 2 (10.0) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (16.7) |
| None, n (%) | 32 (27.8) | 14 (87.5) | 10 (33.3) | 6 (30.0) | 1 (5.3) | 1 (3.3) |
| Professional experience of doctors | Overall (n=86) | AU (n=15) | KR (n=20) | JP (n=16) | PH (n=15) | TW (n=20) |
| Specialty | ||||||
| Medical oncologist, n (%) | 50 (58.1) | 12 (80.0) | 10 (50.0) | 10 (62.5) | 8 (53.3) | 10 (50.0) |
| General surgeon, n (%) | 13 (15.2) | 2 (13.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (46.7) | 4 (20.0) |
| Breast surgeon, n (%) | 23 (26.7) | 1 (6.7) | 10 (50.0) | 6 (37.5) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (30.0) |
| Practice | ||||||
| Public/government hospital, n (%) | 22 (25.6) | 6 (40.0) | 2 (10.0) | 5 (31.3) | 2 (13.3) | 7 (35.0) |
| Private hospital or clinic, n (%) | 27 (31.4) | 2 (13.3) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (37.4) | 11 (73.4) | 8 (40.0) |
| University hospital or academic institute, n (%) | 37 (43.0) | 7 (46.7) | 18 (90.0) | 5 (31.3) | 2 (13.3) | 5 (25.0) |
| Post-training experience managing eTNBC patients | ||||||
| 5–10 years, n (%) | 30 (34.9) | 8 (53.3) | 9 (45.0) | 2 (12.5) | 5 (33.3) | 6 (30.0) |
| 11–15 years, n (%) | 21 (24.4) | 4 (26.7) | 4 (20.0) | 3 (18.8) | 7 (46.7) | 3 (15.0) |
| >15 years, n (%) | 35 (40.7) | 3 (20.0) | 7 (35.0) | 11 (68.7) | 3 (20.0) | 11 (55.0) |
*Freelancer, self-employed, home-call counsellor
†Stage II to III
‡Radiation, surgery, don’t know
BCS, breast-conserving surgery; eTNBC, early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.