Ahmet Selim Yurdakul1, Celalettin Kocatürk2, Hülya Bayiz3, Soner Gürsoy4, Ahmet Bircan5, Aysenaz Özcan3, Atilla Akkoçlu6, Funda Uluorman6, Pinar Çelik7, Deniz Köksal3, Bahar Ulubaş8, Eylem Sercan8, Ömer Özbudak9, Tuncay Göksel10, Tuğba Önalan10, Esra Yamansavci4, Figen Türk11, Gökhan Yuncu11, Çiğdem Çopuraslan12, Tuğba Mardal2, Esin Tuncay2, Altemur Karamustafaoğlu13, Pinar Yildiz2, Funda Seçik2, Muhammet Kaplan14, Emel Çağlar2, Mediha Ortaköylü2, Mine Önal3, Akif Turna15, Evlin Hekimoğlu15, Levent Dalar2, Sedat Altin2, Meral Gülhan16, Eylem Akpinar16, İsmail Savas17, Nalan Firat17, Güngör Çamsari2, Gülçihan Özkan2, Erdoğan Çetinkaya2, Emine Kamiloğlu2, Bülent Çelik18, Yavuz Havlucu7. 1. Pulmonary Department, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: ayurdakul@gazi.edu.tr. 2. Pulmonary and Thoracic Surgery Department, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. 3. Pulmonary Department, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. 4. Thoracic Surgery Department, İzmir Suat Seren Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey. 5. Pulmonary Department, Suleyman Demirel University School of Medicine, Isparta, Turkey. 6. Pulmonary Department, Dokuz Eylül University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. 7. Pulmonary Department, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey. 8. Pulmonary Department, Mersin University School of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. 9. Pulmonary Department, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. 10. Pulmonary Department, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey. 11. Pulmonary Department, Pamukkale University School of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey. 12. Pulmonary Department, Ankara Oncology Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. 13. Thoracic Surgery Department, Trakya University School of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey. 14. Medical Onology Department, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey. 15. Thoracic Surgery Department, Cerrahpasa University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. 16. Pulmonary Department, Ufuk University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. 17. Pulmonary Department, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. 18. Statistics Department, Gazi University School of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.
Abstract
AIM: The early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer are important for the prognosis of patients with lung cancer. This study was undertaken to investigate patient and doctor delays in the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC and the factors affecting these delays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1016 patients, including 926 (91.1%) males and 90 (8.9%) females with a mean age of 61.5±10.1 years, were enrolled prospectively in this study between May 2010 and May 2011 from 17 sites in various Turkish provinces. RESULTS: The patient delay was found to be 49.9±96.9 days, doctor delay was found to be 87.7±99.6 days, and total delay was found to be 131.3±135.2 days. The referral delay was found to be 61.6±127.2 days, diagnostic delay was found to be 20.4±44.5 days, and treatment delay was found to be 24.4±54.9 days. When the major factors responsible for these delays were examined, patient delay was found to be more frequent in workers, while referral delay was found to be more frequent in patients living in villages (p<0.05). We determined that referral delay, doctor delay, and total delay increased as the number of doctors who were consulted by patients increased (p<0.05). Additionally, we determined that diagnostic and treatment delays were more frequent at the early tumour stages in NSCLC patients (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: The extended length of patient delay underscores the necessity of educating people about lung cancer. To decrease doctor delay, education is a crucial first step. Additionally, to further reduce the diagnostic and treatment delays of chest specialists, multidisciplinary management and algorithms must be used regularly.
AIM: The early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer are important for the prognosis of patients with lung cancer. This study was undertaken to investigate patient and doctor delays in the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC and the factors affecting these delays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1016 patients, including 926 (91.1%) males and 90 (8.9%) females with a mean age of 61.5±10.1 years, were enrolled prospectively in this study between May 2010 and May 2011 from 17 sites in various Turkish provinces. RESULTS: The patient delay was found to be 49.9±96.9 days, doctor delay was found to be 87.7±99.6 days, and total delay was found to be 131.3±135.2 days. The referral delay was found to be 61.6±127.2 days, diagnostic delay was found to be 20.4±44.5 days, and treatment delay was found to be 24.4±54.9 days. When the major factors responsible for these delays were examined, patient delay was found to be more frequent in workers, while referral delay was found to be more frequent in patients living in villages (p<0.05). We determined that referral delay, doctor delay, and total delay increased as the number of doctors who were consulted by patients increased (p<0.05). Additionally, we determined that diagnostic and treatment delays were more frequent at the early tumour stages in NSCLCpatients (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: The extended length of patient delay underscores the necessity of educating people about lung cancer. To decrease doctor delay, education is a crucial first step. Additionally, to further reduce the diagnostic and treatment delays of chest specialists, multidisciplinary management and algorithms must be used regularly.
Authors: Akash Verma; Albert Y H Lim; Dessmon Y H Tai; Soon Keng Goh; Ai Ching Kor; Dokeu Basheer A A; Akhil Chopra; John Abisheganaden Journal: Medicine (Baltimore) Date: 2015-07 Impact factor: 1.817