title: [Delay in the diagnosis of primary bronchial cancer. Study carried out in the pneumology unit of Ibn Sina university hospital, Rabat (Morocco)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary bronchial cancer (PBC) is a major public health problem. The diagnosis is often late resulting in a poor prognosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors leading to a late diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All PBCs diagnosed between 01 January and 31 December were included. The factors studied were: "age, sex, smoking, place of residence, socioeconomic level, clinical signs, diagnostic means, histological types, the stages and date of treatment". The date of the first symptom (D1s), the date of care (Dpch), the date of the diagnosis (Ddg) and the date of the beginning of treatment (Dttt) were used to determine the delay before care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and three cases of PBC were included. The medium delay before hospitalisation (D1s to Dpch) was 76 days, the delay before the diagnosis (Dpch to Ddg) was 25 days, the time before treatment (Ddg to Dttt) was 27 days, the time between hospitalisation and treatment (Dpch to Dttt) was 69 days, the overall delay (D1s to Dttt) was 160 days. The time before the diagnosis was longer in cases with a low socioeconomic level (30 days vs. 21 days, p: 0.06). The time before treatment was shorter for small cell carcinomas (SCC) (23 days vs. 31 days: p: 0.06). The time between hospitalisation and treatment was shorter for stages IIIB and IV of NSCBC (60 days vs. 67 days, p: 0.03). The overall delay was shorter for SCC (152 days vs. 168 days, p: 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirms the problem of a delay in diagnosis. The effect of these delays on the prognosis has not been demonstrated and requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Service de pneumologie, hôpital Ibn Sina de Rabat, Maroc. elouazzani hanane@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El Ouazzani
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Menchafou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Achachi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Ftouh
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: El Fassy Fihry
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000473:pathology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017664:Uncompensated Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data