Socioeconomic Disparities in Diagnosis-to-Treatment Time Among Patients Diagnosed With Breast Cancer in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Center

Introduction Despite Saudi Arabia's' free healthcare system, breast cancer (BC) has a major impact on affected individuals. Previous studies have shown that socioeconomic variables could contribute to inequities in receiving treatment. Although early detection and treatment are essential, delays are frequently influenced by either insurance status or other socioeconomic variables. Assessing characteristics that influence the duration of BC treatment for Saudi women will aid in improving health equity and lowering system costs. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that included all female patients who were diagnosed with BC between 2016 and 2023 at a tertiary care center. All patients were contacted by phone calls to fill out a questionnaire. Results A total of 113 females were included; the mean age at the time of diagnosis with BC was 48.88±10.97 years, and the majority were Saudis (58.4%). Additionally, the median duration for treatment initiation was 28 (15.50-45.50) days from the date of diagnosis. Factors influencing the time for initiating the treatment included nationality, as non-Saudis took longer to receive their treatment (27.00 (13.00-39.25) days vs. 30.00 (18.00-59.00) days, p = 0.176). Moreover, patients living further from the hospital demonstrated a delay in receiving treatment compared to those living near the hospital. However, the relation was not statistically significant. Conclusion Our study investigated the demographic disparities among BC patients. Our results showed that some variables contributed to a delay in treatment initiation, including nationality and distance from the hospital, which suggest further areas for investigation. We recommend further studies be conducted with a larger sample size to improve accessibility and reduce treatment delays for BC patients.