title: Impact of delay in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head and neck tumors can be easily recognized through clinical evaluation. However, they are often diagnosed at advanced stages.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the delay from the patient's initial symptoms to the definitive treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of patients enrolled in 2011 and 2012. A questionnaire was filled in about socioeconomic aspects, patient history, tumor data, professionals who evaluated the patients, and the respective time delays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following time delay medians were observed: ten months between symptom onset and the first consultation; four weeks between the latter and the first consultation with a specialist; four weeks between the specialist consultation and diagnosis attainment; and 12 weeks between diagnosis and the start of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most head and neck tumors are diagnosed at advanced stages, due to patient and health care factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos (UNIMES), Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Wady Debes
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Felippu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos (UNIMES), Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Cesar
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos (UNIMES), Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo de Arruda
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos (UNIMES), Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Vicente
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: dedivitis@usp.br.
authors.forename: Rogério Aparecido
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dedivitis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Atenção primária à saúde; Carcinoma de células escamosas; Delayed diagnosis; Diagnóstico tardio; Fatores de tempo; Head and neck neoplasms; Neoplasias de cabeça e pescoço; Primary health care; Prognosis; Prognóstico; Squamous cell carcinoma; Time factors