Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32579484›Full record

ArticleJCO global oncology2020

Patient Delay in Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Two Hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan: Preventive and Life-Saving Measures Needed.

Uzma Shamsi, Shaista Khan, Iqbal Azam, Shaheryar Usman, Amir Maqbool, Tiffany Gill, Romaina Iqbal, David Callen

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JCO global oncology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 50 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Breast Cancer Knowledge and Screening Barriers Among Female University Students of Pakistan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Uzma ShamsiAdelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Shaista KhanDepartment of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Iqbal AzamDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Shaheryar UsmanDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Amir MaqboolDepartment of Oncology, Karachi Institute of Radiation and Nuclear Medicine Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Tiffany GillAdelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Romaina IqbalDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
David CallenAdelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
The University of Adelaide · AUAga Khan University · PKKarachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePatients with breast cancer in Pakistan commonly present with advanced disease. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency and length of delays in seeking medical consultation and to assess the factors associated with them.

methodsFour hundred ninety-nine patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer were enrolled and interviewed over the period from February 2015 to August 2017. Information on sociodemographic factors, delay to medical consultation, stage of breast cancer at presentation, and tumor characteristics of the breast cancer were collected through face-to-face interviews and medical file review.

resultsThe mean (standard deviation) age of patients with breast cancer was 48.0 (12.3) years. The mean (standard deviation) patient delay was 15.7 (25.9) months, with 55.2% of women detecting a breast lump but not seeking a medical consultation because of a lack of awareness about the significance of the lump. A total of 9.4% of the women decided to seek treatment initially using complementary and alternative medicine and traditional treatment; 9.4% of the women presented to a health care provider with a breast lump but no action was taken, and they were wrongly reassured about the lump without mammography or biopsy. For 26% of the women, the delay in presentation was caused by anxiety, fears and misconceptions regarding diagnosis and treatment, and other social factors including possible adverse effects on their relationship with their husband. Multivariable analysis showed a strong association of lower socioeconomic status (odds ratio [OR], 8.11 [95% CI, 2.46 to 26.69]) and late stage of breast cancer (OR, 4.83 [95% CI, 1.74 to 13.39]) with a patient delay of ≥ 3 months.

conclusionPatient delay is a serious problem in Pakistan. There is an urgent need for intensive and comprehensive breast cancer education that addresses the myths and misconceptions related to breast cancer.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsDelayed DiagnosisFemaleHospitalsHumansMiddle AgedPakistanTime Factors

Identifiers

PMID32579484
PMCPMC7328101
OpenAlexW3037722685

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.