Patient and health care delays in large (class T3-T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas.
Head Neck
; 45(5): 1215-1225, 2023 05.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36880833
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. We investigated the lengths and factors associated with patient, primary health care (PHC), and specialist care (SC) delays in T3-T4 oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer.METHODS:
A nationwide prospective questionnaire-based study (n = 203) with the 3-year long data collection period.RESULTS:
The median patient, PHC and SC delays were 58, 13, and 43 days, respectively. Lower level of education, heavy alcohol use, hoarseness, difficulties breathing, and eventual palliative treatment associated with a longer patient delay. A lump on the neck or facial swelling associated with a shorter PHC delay. Conversely, if symptoms were treated as an infection, PHC delay was longer. The treatment modality and tumor site affected SC delay.CONCLUSIONS:
Patient delay stands as the most notable factor contributing to delays before treatment. HNC symptom awareness thus remains especially important among HNC risk groups.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Neoplasias Laríngeas
/
Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article