[Significance for prognosis of delayed diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer].
In a study of 7608 patients with primary breast cancer the effect of patient's and doctor's delay on survival was examined. The delay was arbitrarily divided into the following intervals: Short (0-14 days), intermediate (15-60 days) and long (> 60 days). The delay had significant influence on survival. A long patient's delay was associated with an unfavourable outcome, as compared with a short delay. On the contrary, the prognosis was better for patients with a long doctor's delay compared to that of a short doctor's delay. Overall, when corrected for age, the prognostic value of delay in terms of mortality increased by 24% for a long patient's delay compared to a short one, and by 13% for a short doctor's delay compared to a long one. This suggests that all causes of delay should be kept at a minimum.
Afzelius
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Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group's (DBCG) sekretariat, Rigshospitalet, København.
Zedeler
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Sommer
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Mouridsen
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Blichert-Toft
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
Prognostisk betydning af forsinket diagnostik og behandling af brystkraeft.