[Duration of the diagnostic process for lung cancer versus other solid tumors at the National Oncology Institute of Ecuador].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the duration of the outpatient diagnostic process for lung cancer in comparison to that of other solid organ tumors/all tumors at the National Oncology Institute-Society to Fight Cancer (ION-SOLCA) of Ecuador.


METHODS
All patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) seen between January 1 and December 31, 1995 at the ION-SOLCA, a specialized tertiary care hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, were studied. The duration of the patients' diagnostic process was compared to that of other patients with solid organ tumors (1 control per NSCLC patient).


METHODS
Retrospective study of health care services to measure the duration of each stage of the diagnostic process for cancer patients at the ION-SOLCA.


METHODS
The main variable was the duration of the diagnostic process. The duration of each phase of the process was also recorded.


RESULTS
Results are given as means ( standard deviations, with standard errors between parentheses). The overall duration of the diagnostic process for all solid organ tumors (lung and others) at the ION-SOLCA was 54.5 days 62.3 (7.6). No differences were detected between the duration of diagnosis for lung and other tumors. The durations of the different phases of diagnosis were as follows: from the first pre-admission contact with the hospital until a visit with a specialist, 12.5 days 11.4 (1.4); from the visit with a specialist until a diagnostic procedure, 33.3 days 57 (7); and from the diagnostic procedure until the pathological diagnosis, 8.7 days 6.9 (0.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Outpatient evaluation is an inefficient, slow and potentially dangerous process in cases in which the probability of a cancer diagnosis is high. A more interventionist process involving hospital admission may accelerate diagnosis in such cases.
Freire
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Servicio de Neumología, Terapia Respiratoria y Cuidados Intensivos. The Regional Medical Center. Universidad de Tennessee Health Science Center. Memphis, TN 38163, USA. afreire@utmem.edu
Benítez
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Briones
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Freire
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D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003954:Diagnostic Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D004484:Ecuador; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
Duración de la valoración diagnóstica del cáncer de pulmón frente a otros tumores sólidos en el Instituto Oncológico Nacional de Ecuador.