DELAY IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF BREAST-CANCER IN NORTHERN NORWAY

The delay in diagnosis and treatment of 173 breast cancer patients adm itted for radiotherapy at the University Hospital of Tromso is present ed. The median delay from symptom to diagnosis was 2.4 months (0-98.6 months), from histological/cytological diagnosis to operation 7 days ( range 0-523 days) and from operation to start of radiotherapy 47 days (range 24-102 days). There were no correlations between delay and age, tumour size, estrogen receptor status, breast involved, relapse or de ath of disease. A prolonged diagnostic delay (p=0.041) was revealed in the county (Finnmark) having the worsed prognosis. Delay should be mi nimised to reduce anxiety and unnecessary suffering and improve surviv al.