[Analysis of delays in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer patients at a public hospital].
BACKGROUND
To identify potential delays in the management of patients with breast cancer examined at a public hospital, from time of suspicion until diagnosis and beginning of treatment.


METHODS
Retrospective study which analyzed data related to time elapsed in different intervals between suspicion, diagnosis and onset of systemic cancer-directed treatments, of consecutive breast cancer patients cared for at the medical oncology clinic of the Mario Covas Hospital during 2006.


RESULTS
Sixty-eight women, with a mean age of 56.3 years (standard deviation: 12.2 years), were included. Of all the intervals, the longest delay occurred between the mammographic suspicion of cancer and performance of biopsy (median of 72 days, range: 4 - 1095 days); this was significantly longer (P<0.001) than in the other intervals analyzed. Furthermore, this interval in particular, was significantly longer in patients with advanced stage breast cancer when compared to those at the initial stage (P=0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
Breast cancer patients treated in a public hospital in Brazil suffer delays, especially during the diagnosis of their disease. Minimizing the time between mammography and biopsy of suspicious lesions appears to be the most critical step to correct this situation.
Trufelli
Damila Cristina
DC
Disciplina de Hematologia e Oncologia da Faculdade de Medina do ABC e pelo Programa Integrado de Oncologia, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Miranda
Vanessa da Costa
Vda C
Santos
Maria Beatriz Brisola Dos
MB
Fraile
Natália Moreno Perez
NM
Pecoroni
Priscilla Guedes
PG
Gonzaga
Suzana de França Ribeiro
Sde F
Riechelmann
Rachel
R
Kaliks
Rafael
R
Del Giglio
Auro
A
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors