Delay in diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STS): Causes of late intervention and their role in prognosis—A prospective, multidisciplinary group study.

Abstract

10055 Background: STS are 1% of malignant tumors in adults. Rarity, heterogeneity in presentation, low expertise in primary care physicians (PCP) or in general hospitals, organisation problems in specialized centers may cause a delay in both diagnosis and treatment. Aim of this study is to acknowledge the barriers to optimal care and the consequences of the delay on prognosis. Methods: Patients with STS of the extremities, trunk, retroperitoneum treated and followed from 1999 to 2011 by the same multidisciplinary group were included. Time and pattern of symptoms onset, anatomic site, tumor volume, patients’ age, gender and home, interval between diagnosis and surgical treatment or neoadjuvant chemotherapy; time to start adjuvant RT or CT were considered in a univariate - multivariate analysis. Results: 449 adult patient (53% F, 47% M, median age 55 years) were followed for a median time of 116.38 months. 65.7% of STS were at the extremities, 17.6% retroperitoneal, 16.7% at the trunk wall. Median volume at diagnosis was 8 cm for trunk and extremities; 15 cm for retroperitoneum. Commonest histologies: liposarcoma. 18.2%; leiomyo 16.8%; mixofibro 13.6%. Increasing mass, pain, and abdominal disconfort were the main revealing signs of diseases. Median time of delay were: from onset of symptom to first medical visit 68 days for trunk and extremities, 82 for retroperitoneum; 104 days from symptoms to histological diagnosis; 129 days from symptoms to start of therapy. Time to surgery after definitive diagnosis was 12 days in extremities and 21 in abdomen. Adjuvant CT started 22 days after surgery for extremities, 25 in trunk, 35 in retroperitoneum. RT initiated after 78 days. Longer delay in treatment lead to worse prognosis: MS 89.95 months if delay was > 3 months; 190.40 months if wait was < 3 months (p 0.007). Conclusions: Low self consciousness of the patient; misdiagnosis or inadequate approach in general hospitals; late referral to specialized centres are 75% of the cause of wasted time. Organization problems at the referral Centre concur for 25% of delay. Guidelines implementation and educational programme among general population and PCP are necessary.

Impact of COVID-19 on healthcare organisation and cancer outcomes

“…For cancer mortality, an individual hazard ratio for additional cancer death was derived based on literature data [ [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ], in accordance with simulated care and time needed for provision of care ( Supplementary Table A ). This additional risk was applied to the 5-year net mortality rate for patients with cancer [ 37 ], and the additional number of cancer-specific deaths at 5 years after treatment for different types of cancer was calculated based on the assumption that net mortality approximates cancer mortality [ 38 ] for patients treated during the simulation period.…”

“…Delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment can change the patient's prognosis ( [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , Supplementary Table A ). Recent projections in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America reported excess mortality in cancer patients induced by pandemic-related changes in cancer care [ [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] ].…”