dc.contributor.author | Otieno, E.S. | |
dc.contributor.author | Micheni, J. N. | |
dc.contributor.author | Kimende, S. K. | |
dc.contributor.author | Mutai, K. K. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2013-04-08T11:49:43Z | |
dc.date.available | 2013-04-08T11:49:43Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2010-04 | |
dc.identifier.citation | East African Medical Journal | en |
dc.identifier.uri | http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/15536 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23057288 | |
dc.description.abstract | Out of the 500 patient files reviewed a total of 111 (22.2%) were excluded because either whole or part of their diagnostic work-up was done outside KNH (n=66) or they had recurrent disease (n=45), thus leaving 389 eligible for analysis. Mean overall provider delay (time lapse between the patients’ first hospital visit date to time definitive anti-cancer treatment was started) was 87.9 days, (n=160, range 1 to 1683 days) and a median of 21.5 days. Nine (5.6%) patients were started on treatment three or more years after they initially presented to the hospital. Mean delay with regard to confirmatory laboratory diagnostic test was 56.2 days (n=83, range 1 to 985 days, standard deviation 146.7) with a median of 17.0 days. Eighty seven (22.4%) patients had complete data set to assess for the lapse in time from definitive diagnosis to the time definitive anti-cancer treatment was initiated. This mean delay was 93.5 days with a median of 28.0 days.
Conclusion:
The median overall provider delay for patients diagnosed with breast cancer at KNH is reasonable and compares well with that of other institutions. It remains to be determined why a small number of patients take unusually long to be put on definitive anti-cancer treatment. | en |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.relation.ispartofseries | Vol. 87 No. 4 (2010); | |
dc.title | Provider delay in the diagnosis and initiation of definitive treatment for breast cancer patients | en |
local.publisher | Department of Medicine. College of Health Sciences. University of Nairobi | en |