Patient delays and system delays in breast cancer treatment in developed and developing countries.
Open Access
- 1 October 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by FapUNIFESP (SciELO) in Ciencia & Saude Coletiva
- Vol. 20 (10), 3177-3189
- https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320152010.19692014
Abstract
Delays in treating breast cancer have been associated with a more advanced stage of the disease and a decrease in patient survival rates. The scope of this integrative review was to analyze the main causal factors and types of patient and system delays. The underlying causal factors of delays were compared among studies conducted in developing and developed countries. Of the 53 studies selected, 24 were carried out in developing countries and 29 in developed countries, respectively. Non-attribution of symptoms to cancer, fear of the disease and treatment and low educational level were the most frequent causes of patient delay. Less comprehensive health insurance coverage, older/younger age and false negative diagnosis tests were the three most common causal factors of system delay. The effects of factors such as age were not decisive per se and depended mainly on the social and cultural context. Some factors caused both patient delay and system delay. Studies conducted in developing countries identified more causal factors of patient delay and had a stronger focus on patient delay or the combination of both. Studies conducted in developed countries had a stronger focus on aspects of system delay during treatment and guidance of breast cancer patients in the health care system.Keywords
This publication has 53 references indexed in Scilit:
- Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: Sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012International Journal of Cancer, 2014
- Delay in Breast Cancer: Implications for Stage at Diagnosis and SurvivalFrontiers in Public Health, 2014
- Challenges to the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in developing countriesWorld Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2014
- Ethnic inequalities in time to diagnosis of cancer: a systematic reviewBMC Family Practice, 2013
- A Systematic Review of Barriers to Breast Cancer Care in Developing Countries Resulting in Delayed Patient PresentationJournal of Oncology, 2012
- The global breast cancer burdenFuture Oncology, 2012
- The validity of the mortality to incidence ratio as a proxy for site-specific cancer survivalEuropean Journal of Public Health, 2010
- Global trends in breast cancer incidence and mortalitySalud Publica de Mexico, 2009
- Patient delay and stage of diagnosis among breast cancer patients in Germany – a population based studyBritish Journal of Cancer, 2002
- The influence on survival of delay in the presentation and treatment of symptomatic breast cancerBritish Journal of Cancer, 1999