Disparity and determinants of waiting time from diagnosis to treatment in patients with cancer

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K10630
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Kanazawa Medical University
• Principal Investigator: NISHINO Yoshikazu 金沢医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (70302099)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: がん / 医療の質 / 待機期間

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Using data of patients with stomach, colorectum, lung, and breast cancer diagnosed between 2016 and 2017 in the Hokushin Ganpro Database, we investigated the current status and determinants of waiting time from diagnosis to treatment in the Hokushin region. The median waiting time for breast cancer treatment was 44 days, which was longer than that for other cancer types. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with breast cancer had a significantly higher likelihood of receiving treatment after >30 days from diagnosis. Further, multilevel logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with stomach, colorectum, and lung cancer who sought medical treatment from hospitals whose number of beds ranked in the upper third of all participating hospitals were significantly more likely to undergo treatment after >30 days than did those who sought medical treatment from hospitals whose number of beds ranked in the lower third after adjustment for other patient and facility factors.

Free Research Field

疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がんが診断されてから治療が開始されるまでの待機期間は医療の質を評価するプロセス指標であり、待機期間が長くなることは患者の不安を増大させるとともに予後にも影響する可能性が報告されている。
本研究では乳癌および病床数が多い病院で治療を受けた者で、患者の諸特性を補正した後も長期待機者の割合が多いことを明らかにしており、今後の長期待機の原因を解明する研究と改善に寄与する点で意義を持つ。