Influence of Diagnostic Delay on Survival Rates for Patients with Colorectal Cancer

María Padilla-Ruiz, María Morales-Suárez-Varela, Francisco Rivas-Ruiz, Julia Alcaide, Esperanza Varela-Moreno, Irene Zarcos-Pedrinaci, Teresa Téllez, Nerea Fernández- de Larrea-Baz, Marisa Baré, Amaia Bilbao, Cristina Sarasqueta, Urko Aguirre-Larracoechea, José María Quintana, Maximino Redondo and on behalf of CARESS-CCR Study Group
Additional contact information
María Padilla-Ruiz: Research Unit, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, 29603 Marbella, Spain
María Morales-Suárez-Varela: Unit of Public Health and Environmental Care, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
Francisco Rivas-Ruiz: Research Unit, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Julia Alcaide: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Esperanza Varela-Moreno: Research Unit, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Irene Zarcos-Pedrinaci: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Teresa Téllez: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Nerea Fernández- de Larrea-Baz: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Marisa Baré: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Amaia Bilbao: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Cristina Sarasqueta: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Urko Aguirre-Larracoechea: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
José María Quintana: Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas-REDISSEC, 29603 Marbella, Spain
Maximino Redondo: Research Unit, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, 29603 Marbella, Spain
on behalf of CARESS-CCR Study Group: Membership of the CARESS-CCR Study Group is provided in Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-9

Abstract: Colorectal cancer affects men and women alike. Sometimes, due to clinical-pathological factors, the absence of symptoms or the failure to conduct screening tests, its diagnosis may be delayed. However, it has not been conclusively shown that such a delay, especially when attributable to the health system, affects survival. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the overall survival rate of patients with a delayed diagnosis of colorectal cancer. This observational, prospective, multicenter study was conducted at 22 public hospitals located in nine Spanish provinces. For this analysis, 1688 patients with complete information in essential variables were included. The association between diagnostic delay and overall survival at five years, stratified according to tumor location, was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Hazard ratios for this association were estimated using multivariable Cox regression models. The diagnostic delay ≥ 30 days was presented in 944 patients. The presence of a diagnostic delay of more than 30 days was not associated with a worse prognosis, contrary to a delay of less than 30 days (HR: 0.76, 0.64–0.90). In the multivariate analysis, a short delay maintained its predictive value (HR: 0.80, 0.66–0.98) regardless of age, BMI, Charlson index or TNM stage. A diagnostic delay of less than 30 days is an independent factor for short survival in patients with CRC. This association may arise because the clinical management of tumors with severe clinical characteristics and with a poorer prognosis are generally conducted more quickly.

Keywords: colorectal neoplasms; delayed diagnosis; prospective cohort study; mortality; survival (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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