Early or late diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients are key factors in their prognosis and survival. Measuring cancer management times and identifying the associated factors can help to optimize them. Our objective was to analyze medical management times for cancer patients in the oncology department of the PZAGA Hospital in Mahajanga.

This was a longitudinal study with retrospective cross-sectional data collection, including patients diagnosed with cancer who received specific treatment between January 2014 and December 2019. We examined all management times, from D1 (between initial symptoms and the first consultation) to D8 (between the first oncology consultation and the date of the most recent medical visit). Management times were reported in "day(s)."

177 patients were included, with a mean age of 52.53±13.88 years and a sex ratio of 0.35. Breast cancer was the most common cancer (n=50). Chemotherapy (n=142) was the most common specific treatment. The mean D1 management time was 35.43 days, and the mean D8 management time was 304.25 days. There was a significant association between occupational activity and D1 (p=0.019) and D8 (p=0.001) management times, and between cancer site and D2 (p=0.030) and D7 (p=0.032) management times.

Management times were long overall, and varied by cancer site and patient activity. Interventions should focus on these identified factors, pending further data.