Patient delay factors in women presenting with breast cancer in a low income country.

BACKGROUND: In low income countries, many patients with breast cancer present with advanced disease which is majorly attributed to late presentation and this is associated with poor survival rates. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of patient delay and the factors that influence, delay in seeking health care in female breast cancer patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done between January and April 2014 at a tertiary breast unit. Female patients with breast cancer above the age of 18 years were interviewed. Ethical approval was obtained. RESULTS: In total 162 patients were recruited, the mean patient delay in months was 22.6 (SD = 26.4), median delay was 13 months and range was 1-127 months. 139 (89 %) patients delayed by more than 3 months after noticing symptoms of breast anomaly. Patients with no social support from spouses and family were more likely to delay (OR = 7.1, 95 % CI 2.4-21.5, p = 0.001), those who perceived the symptoms as very serious were less likely to delay (OR = 0.2, 95 % CI 0.1-0.6, p = 0.007). There was a significant association between delayed presentation and advanced stage at presentation (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Most women (89 %) with breast cancer delayed by more than 3 months to seek the first medical consultation after noticing symptoms. Patients who had no social support from their families were more likely to delay.

Mastalgia: prevalence at a sub-saharan african tertiary hospital.

Introduction. Mastalgia is a common breast condition among women referred to breast clinics worldwide. Whereas the prevalence is known in the Western world and Asia, the prevalence of the disease is unknown in many African countries. The aim of this study therefore was to determine the prevalence and describe factors associated with mastalgia among women attending a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. A cross-sectional study was done in Kampala, Uganda. Mastalgia was defined as self-reported breast pain (unilateral or bilateral) for a period not less than two months. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11. Ethical approval was obtained. Results. Out of the 1048 women who presented to the breast clinic during the study period, 168 (16%) were diagnosed with mastalgia in the absence of breast cancer. Noncyclical and cyclical mastalgia were 22/168 (13%) and 5/168 (3%), respectively. The onset of noncyclical category as compared to the cyclical type of mastalgia was observed to manifest before 24 years of age (P = 0.006). Conclusion. Mastalgia was a common condition among women in this sub-Saharan African setting as is elsewhere. The early onset mastalgia in this sub-Saharan African study requires further exploration for determination of its risk factors.