Factors related to the delay in initiating treatment for oral cancer at a referral center in the Central-West region of Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Early detection and prompt treatment play an important role in reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer. In Brazil, Law No. 12,732/2012 defines a maximum period of 60 days for starting treatment after diagnosis. Objective To identify factors that may contribute to delays in initiating treatment for patients diagnosed with oral cancer at a High Complexity Oncology Care Center (CACON) in the Central-West region of Brazil. Material and method This retrospective observational study analyzed the medical records of 122 patients whose treatments, conducted between 2010 and 2016, were delayed by more than 60 days following confirmation of their diagnosis. Data from each medical record was collected and transcribed into a spreadsheet for analysis. Result Six factors potentially contributing to treatment delays were identified and classified into three dimensions: patient-related, health professional-related, and health services-related. The most prevalent factor was related to health services, specifically failures in service availability (90.2%), particularly regarding waiting times for various tests. Within the professional health dimension, concerns related to diagnosis and treatment were the most prevalent factors (65.6%). The least frequent factors were linked to the patient-related dimension, encompassing behavioral (23.8%) and socioeconomic (15.6%) aspects. Conclusion A high frequency of factors potentially contributing to delays in initiating treatment for oral cancer was observed, with those related to health services being the most prevalent, especially the waiting times for various tests.

Keywords

• Mouth neoplasms
• time-to-treatment
• health policy
• quality of health care