Factors associated with the time to treat breast cancer in the pandemic period: an observational study.
Denise Montenegro da Silva, Régia Christina Moura Barbosa Castro, Ana Fátima Carvalho Fernandes and 3 others
PMID 37556674WHAT IT FOUND
During the pandemic, women referred to a mastology clinic with a prior diagnosis faced longer treatment delays than those diagnosed at the clinic.
Higher education was protective for referred patients, while neoadjuvant therapy helped those diagnosed on-site start treatment sooner.
Key findings
01Women referred with a diagnosis before their first visit were more likely to experience delays over 60 days if they had lower education levels, whereas higher education was associated with timely treatment.
02For patients diagnosed at the clinic, receiving neoadjuvant therapy was associated with a significantly shorter time to treatment initiation compared to those who did not receive it.
03Tumor type was also associated with treatment timing in patients diagnosed at the clinic, with infiltrating ductal carcinoma linked to shorter delays.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is a single-center retrospective analysis with a small sample size (140 patients), limiting generalizability. Many patients (38) were excluded due to insufficient data, which may introduce selection bias. The study could not establish causality, only associations, and did not account for all potential confounders in the healthcare system during the pandemic.
Declared interests
No specific conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that neoadjuvant therapy itself speeds up care for all patients. The association with shorter time to treatment was specific to the group diagnosed at the clinic (BR), while the referred group (PR) faced delays regardless of therapy type, suggesting systemic access barriers rather than treatment modality were the primary driver for them.