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Patient delay in seeking help for potential breast cancer
1Department of Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook 11794-8036, USA.
Public Health Reviews
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Patient delay in seeking breast cancer treatment is a significant issue. Women with worsening symptoms and those not using regular screenings or family practitioners were more likely to delay care.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Patient delay in seeking medical care contributes to breast cancer mortality.
- Identifying factors associated with delayed diagnosis is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors linked to prolonged patient delay in seeking care for potential breast cancer symptoms.
- To pinpoint specific demographic or behavioral groups requiring enhanced education on breast cancer signs and early treatment.
Main Methods:
- A case-control and survival analysis study involving 162 women with potential breast cancer symptoms in Worcester, MA.
- Categorized delay into longer and shorter groups for case-control analysis and treated it as a continuous variable for survival analysis.
Main Results:
- Increasing symptom severity correlated with a higher likelihood of delay.
- Regular breast self-examination and bi-annual mammograms significantly reduced delay.
- Women consulting family practitioners showed less delay compared to those seeing other physicians.
Conclusions:
- Patient delay remains a substantial problem, with 16% of participants delaying care by at least two months.
- The study introduced an improved method for defining patient delay, warranting further investigation in larger cohorts.