Delayed time from first medical visit to diagnosis for breast cancer patients in Taiwan

Abstract

Background/purpose: Delay in diagnosis may affect the survival of breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate delayed diagnosis for breast cancer patients in Taiwan.

Methods: This study was conducted via one-to-one interviews with structured questionnaires in hospital outpatient visit. Included were 600 breast cancer patients seeking medical care in two medical centers in central Taiwan.

Results: Average delay in breast cancer diagnosis was 27.8 days. Service level of the patients' first visit and number of hospitals patients visited before obtaining a correct diagnosis were significantly associated with delay in diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis found that patients who had visited two, and three or more hospitals before getting a correct diagnosis had longer delays in diagnosis than patients who had visited one hospital (odds ratio = 2.23 and 9.26, 95% confidence interval 1.37-3.63 and 95% CI:3.87-22.15, respectively).

Conclusion: Results of this study are anticipated to serve as a reference for the government and medical institutions to develop policies to reduce the number of hospitals visited before diagnosis for breast cancer patients, and ultimately to achieve the goal of early detection and treatment.

Keywords: breast cancer; delayed diagnosis; hospital level; number of hospitals visited.