Patient and health care delays in large (class T3–T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas

Markus Atula; Katri Aro; Heikki Irjala; Elina Halme; Anna Jouppila-Mättö; Petri Koivunen; Tommy Wilkman; Henry Blomster; Antti Mäkitie; Timo Atula

doi:10.1002/hed.27335

Patient and health care delays in large (class T3–T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas

Markus Atula, Katri Aro, Heikki Irjala, Elina Halme, Anna Jouppila-Mättö, Petri Koivunen, Tommy Wilkman, Henry Blomster, Antti Mäkitie, Timo Atula

KNK, Ear and mouth illnesses

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. We investigated the lengths and factors associated with patient, primary health care (PHC), and specialist care (SC) delays in T3–T4 oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer. Methods: A nationwide prospective questionnaire-based study (n = 203) with the 3-year long data collection period. Results: The median patient, PHC and SC delays were 58, 13, and 43 days, respectively. Lower level of education, heavy alcohol use, hoarseness, difficulties breathing, and eventual palliative treatment associated with a longer patient delay. A lump on the neck or facial swelling associated with a shorter PHC delay. Conversely, if symptoms were treated as an infection, PHC delay was longer. The treatment modality and tumor site affected SC delay. Conclusions: Patient delay stands as the most notable factor contributing to delays before treatment. HNC symptom awareness thus remains especially important among HNC risk groups.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1215-1225
Number of pages	11
Journal	Head and Neck
Volume	45
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.27335
Publication status	Published - 2023
Publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

cancer
head and neck
health care delay
patient delay
treatment delay

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 3

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Otorhinolaryngology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/hed.27335

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20231003138546

Cite this

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title = "Patient and health care delays in large (class T3–T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas",

abstract = "Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. We investigated the lengths and factors associated with patient, primary health care (PHC), and specialist care (SC) delays in T3–T4 oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer. Methods: A nationwide prospective questionnaire-based study (n = 203) with the 3-year long data collection period. Results: The median patient, PHC and SC delays were 58, 13, and 43 days, respectively. Lower level of education, heavy alcohol use, hoarseness, difficulties breathing, and eventual palliative treatment associated with a longer patient delay. A lump on the neck or facial swelling associated with a shorter PHC delay. Conversely, if symptoms were treated as an infection, PHC delay was longer. The treatment modality and tumor site affected SC delay. Conclusions: Patient delay stands as the most notable factor contributing to delays before treatment. HNC symptom awareness thus remains especially important among HNC risk groups.",

keywords = "cancer, head and neck, health care delay, patient delay, treatment delay",

author = "Markus Atula and Katri Aro and Heikki Irjala and Elina Halme and Anna Jouppila-M{\"a}tt{\"o} and Petri Koivunen and Tommy Wilkman and Henry Blomster and Antti M{\"a}kitie and Timo Atula",

note = "Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge all personnel involved in data acquisition. We also thank Tero Vahlberg for his help in the data analysis. This research was supported by funding from the Sigrid Juselius Foundation (8073; project number TYH2020232), Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District Research Funding, the Finnish–Norwegian Medical Foundation (no. 2021058), the Ida Montini Foundation (20210333), and the Finnish Medical Foundation (no. 4290). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1002/hed.27335",

language = "English",

volume = "45",

pages = "1215--1225",

journal = "Head and Neck",

issn = "1043-3074",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Patient and health care delays in large (class T3–T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas

AU - Atula, Markus

AU - Aro, Katri

AU - Irjala, Heikki

AU - Halme, Elina

AU - Jouppila-Mättö, Anna

AU - Koivunen, Petri

AU - Wilkman, Tommy

AU - Blomster, Henry

AU - Mäkitie, Antti

AU - Atula, Timo

N1 - Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge all personnel involved in data acquisition. We also thank Tero Vahlberg for his help in the data analysis. This research was supported by funding from the Sigrid Juselius Foundation (8073; project number TYH2020232), Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District Research Funding, the Finnish–Norwegian Medical Foundation (no. 2021058), the Ida Montini Foundation (20210333), and the Finnish Medical Foundation (no. 4290). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. We investigated the lengths and factors associated with patient, primary health care (PHC), and specialist care (SC) delays in T3–T4 oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer. Methods: A nationwide prospective questionnaire-based study (n = 203) with the 3-year long data collection period. Results: The median patient, PHC and SC delays were 58, 13, and 43 days, respectively. Lower level of education, heavy alcohol use, hoarseness, difficulties breathing, and eventual palliative treatment associated with a longer patient delay. A lump on the neck or facial swelling associated with a shorter PHC delay. Conversely, if symptoms were treated as an infection, PHC delay was longer. The treatment modality and tumor site affected SC delay. Conclusions: Patient delay stands as the most notable factor contributing to delays before treatment. HNC symptom awareness thus remains especially important among HNC risk groups.

AB - Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. We investigated the lengths and factors associated with patient, primary health care (PHC), and specialist care (SC) delays in T3–T4 oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer. Methods: A nationwide prospective questionnaire-based study (n = 203) with the 3-year long data collection period. Results: The median patient, PHC and SC delays were 58, 13, and 43 days, respectively. Lower level of education, heavy alcohol use, hoarseness, difficulties breathing, and eventual palliative treatment associated with a longer patient delay. A lump on the neck or facial swelling associated with a shorter PHC delay. Conversely, if symptoms were treated as an infection, PHC delay was longer. The treatment modality and tumor site affected SC delay. Conclusions: Patient delay stands as the most notable factor contributing to delays before treatment. HNC symptom awareness thus remains especially important among HNC risk groups.

KW - cancer

KW - head and neck

KW - health care delay

KW - patient delay

KW - treatment delay

U2 - 10.1002/hed.27335

DO - 10.1002/hed.27335

M3 - Article

C2 - 36880833

AN - SCOPUS:85150386460

SN - 1043-3074

VL - 45

SP - 1215

EP - 1225

JO - Head and Neck

JF - Head and Neck

IS - 5

ER -

Patient and health care delays in large (class T3–T4) oral, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal carcinomas

Abstract

Keywords

Publication forum classification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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