ArticleBMJ open2022
Factors affecting delay in the presentation of breast cancer symptoms among women in Gaza, occupied Palestinian territory: a cross-sectional survey.
Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predictors of survival among breast cancer patients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Pooled it
- Delayed presentation of breast cancer patients and contributing factors in East Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Assessing health beliefs and patient delay among breast cancer patients in West Sumatra, Indonesia.MethodsX · 2026Article
- Direct and Indirect Associations of Sociodemographic Factors and Patient-Perceived Barriers With Delayed Breast Cancer Presentation: A Cross-Sectional Path Analysis.World journal of oncology · 2026Article
- Challenges and strategies for delivering effective breast cancer care in conflict zones.Communications medicine · 2026Review
- Factors Associated with Delays in Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Scoping Review.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2026Review
- Factors Affecting Presentation Delay to the Hospital Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Analysis.Journal of family & reproductive health · 2024Article
- Barriers to Timely Seeking of Breast Cancer Care Among Palestinian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.JCO global oncology · 2024Article
- Health-seeking behaviour of breast cancer patients receiving care at a tertiary institution in Ghana.Ecancermedicalscience · 2024Article
- The influence of socio-demographic factors on the stage at which women's breast cancer is diagnosed and treatment prescribed in the Gaza Strip, occupied Palestinian territory.Ecancermedicalscience · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo identify factors related to women's delay in presenting with breast cancer symptoms to improve diagnosis in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
designCross-sectional.
settingTwo government cancer hospitals.
participantsA consecutive sample of 130 Palestinian women living in Gaza with newly diagnosed breast cancer were approached in the waiting rooms of cancer hospitals in Gaza between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017. 120 women took part and returned the completed questionnaire. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical information about breast cancer was collected from hospital cancer records. An interval of 3 months or more between women's self-discovery of symptoms and their first presentation to a medical provider was considered as a delay.
results94% (122/130) of women attending cancer hospitals in Gaza agreed to take part in the study. Their mean age was 51 years (range: 23-72), 33.6% (31/122) had a family history of breast cancer and 74.5% (41/55) of those whose cancer stage was known had been diagnosed at stage III or IV. Around one-half (62/122) said they had not recognised the seriousness of their breast changes but only 20% (24/122) of women delayed seeking healthcare by 3 months and more. The two only factors associated to late presentation were that the woman considered their symptoms not serious (p<0.001) and lack of pain (p=0.012). Lower socioeconomic status, older age, lower education and negative family history of breast cancer were not statistically associated with women's delay.
conclusionsWomen's awareness about the seriousness of breast changes and the critical importance of seeking prompt diagnosis needs to be improved using context-relevant and evidence-based awareness campaigns. This should be accompanied with training of female nurses on promoting early detection and improvement in diagnostic facilities to ensure timely diagnosis of cancer in the oPt.
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