Characteristics related to the treatment of colorectal cancer patients based on a pilot study in Baranya county, Hungary

Abstract

Hungary has one of the leading colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates in Europe. Patient-related and healthcare-related factors may all play a role. Our objective was to investigate the characteristics related to the treatment of colorectal cancer patients by analysing their initial symptoms, disease stage, referral characteristics and total treatment intervals. A retrospective study was conducted based on data from colorectal patients (n = 212) from the databases of 26 general physician practices and the University of Pécs, Clinical Center. The total treatment interval was determined as the number of days from the first patient-physician consultation with symptoms until the first day of treatment. Descriptive analysis and analysis of variance were performed. Patients' most common symptom was abdominal/rectal pain when presenting at the emergency department while bloody stool was the most common among patients visiting their general physicians. The proportion of patients with advanced stage (III-IV) cancer was significantly higher at the emergency department than among patients visiting their general physicians (61% and 42.7%, respectively). The total treatment interval was shorter when patients presented at the emergency department (total treatment interval median: 15 days for advanced stage, 34.5 days for early [I-II] stage cancer) than when they initially visited their general physicians (total treatment interval median: 83 days for early stage, 86 days for advanced stage cancers). The total treatment intervals for patients visiting the emergency department or their general physicians were similar to those found in Western European countries. The high mortality rates in Hungary are more probably due to patient-related delays, which highlight the importance of primary and secondary prevention. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(4): 153-160.