Analysis of the waiting time of the diagnosis for the first breast cancer treatment in southern Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the waiting time from the diagnosis to the first breast cancer treatment at the University Hospital in southern Brazil to verify if the law #12,732/12 is being respected and to identify the impact of this waiting time on breast cancer progression. A retrospective, quantitative, and indirect approach was carried out by reviewing the medical records of 118 patients who underwent oncologic breast surgery at the University Hospital, an exclusive public service, from January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2016. Data analysis revealed that the average waiting time was 104.4 days and the median was 92.5 days. Of the patients who started their treatment by surgery, 85.1% waited for more than 60 days. Meanwhile, 67.6% of the patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, started the treatment within 60 days. In addition, the waiting time was not significant for relapse outcomes, metastatic disease, and death due to breast cancer. These results demonstrate the need for proposals that can reduce waiting times to the first treatment, especially if the indication is surgery.