Abstract
Delay in diagnosis was recorded prospectively in 167 patients with an oral squamous cell carcinoma. The median total delay was 4 months of which two-thirds was patient delay. The corrected survival did not correlate with the total delay. The patient delay was not significantly correlated with tumour or patient factors and the unreliable nature of patient delay information makes such data clinically unusable. In contrast, the professional delay correlated significantly with some of these factors. The delay was longer for women than for men and the older the patient, the longer the delay. The professional delay was longest in patients with small tumours. Thus, registration of the professional delay provides information to be used to improve the diagnostic efficiency of the health care system.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.