Diagnosis and Surgical Delays in African American and White Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: Delays in diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer may contribute to excess deaths among African Americans. We examined racial differences in delays in diagnosis and surgical treatment for early-stage breast cancer and evaluated race-specific predictors associated with delay. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 634 African American and white women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2005 and 2010 in New Jersey. Detailed medical-chart abstraction and patient interviews were undertaken. Time intervals were calculated from symptom recognition to diagnosis (diagnosis delay) and from diagnosis to first operation (surgical delay). Binomial regression models were used to examine racial differences in delay and factors associated with ≥2 months delay in the overall population and stratified by race. Reasons responsible for diagnosis delay were also examined by race. RESULTS: Compared to white women, African American women experienced significantly higher risk of ≥2 months delay in diagnosis and surgical treatment (adjusted relative risks=1.44 (1.12-1.86) and 3.08 (1.88-5.04), respectively). For the African Americans, predictors of diagnosis delay included mode of detection, insurance, and tumor size; for whites, mode of detection and tumor grade. Surgical delay was associated with operation type and education among African Americans but with operation type and tumor size for whites. Patient-related factors were commonly noted as reasons for diagnosis delay. CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the need to raise further awareness, especially among African American patients and their providers, of the importance of prompt evaluation and treatment of breast abnormalities. Research on effective ways to accomplish this is needed.