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Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Factors related to breast cancer detection mode and time to diagnosis in Alberta, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2016

Abstract

Background

Understanding the factors affecting the mode and timeliness of breast cancer diagnosis is important to optimizing patient experiences and outcomes. The purposes of the study were to identify factors related to the length of the diagnostic interval and assess how they vary by mode of diagnosis: screen or symptom detection.

Methods

All female residents of Alberta diagnosed with first primary breast cancer in years 2004–2010 were identified from the Alberta Cancer Registry. Data were linked to Physician Claims and screening program databases. Screen-detected patients were identified as having a screening mammogram within 6-months prior to diagnosis; remaining patients were considered symptom-detected. Separate quantile regression was conducted for each detection mode to assess the relationship between demographic/clinical and healthcare factors.

Results

Overall, 38 % of the 12,373 breast cancer cases were screen-detected compared to 47 % of the screen-eligible population. Health region of residence was strongly associated with cancer detection mode. The median diagnostic interval for screen and symptom-detected cancers was 19 and 21 days, respectively. The variation by health region, however, was large ranging from an estimated median of 4 to 37 days for screen-detected patients and from 17 to 33 days for symptom-detected patients. Cancer stage was inversely associated with the diagnostic interval for symptom-detected cancers, but not for screen-detected cancers.

Conclusion

Significant variation by health region in both the percentage of women with screen-detected cancer and the length of the diagnostic interval for screen and symptom-detected breast cancers suggests there could be important differences in local breast cancer diagnostic care coordination.

In the analysis of effect modification, health regions have been grouped according to their median diagnostic interval estimates and their changes over time, in order to make Fig. 6 less busy while keeping the important findings intact.

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Title: Factors related to breast cancer detection mode and time to diagnosis in Alberta, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study
Publication date: 01-12-2016
Published in: BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1303-z

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Factors related to breast cancer detection mode and time to diagnosis in Alberta, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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