Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Head and Neck cancer patients: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

Authors

  • Vishwas Kapoor PhD scholar, Department of biostatistics and health informatics
  • Dr. Prabhaker Mishra Additional Professor, Department of Biostatistics and health informatics
  • Dr. Amit Keshri Associate Professor, department of neurosurgery
  • Dr Punita Lal Professor and head, Department of radiotherapy
  • Dr. Shagun Misra Additional Professor, Department of radiotherapy
  • Dr. Uttam Singh Professor and head, Department of Biostatistics and health informatics

Keywords:

Head and Neck Cancer (HNC), Primary delay, Secondary delay, Tertiary delay

Abstract

Background: There is a high death rate, low quality of life, and increased risk of sickness for individuals with head and neck cancer (HNC) due to diagnostic and treatment delays. People with HNC have limited access to research that aim to estimate the delay.
Objective: Assessment of diagnostic and therapy delays among HNC patients is the focus of this research.
Method: To locate papers published in reputable sources like Medline, Google Scholar, and PubMed that dealt with HNC, a thorough systematic literature search was undertaken. Primarily, secondaryly, and tertiaryly, we have employed delays. The data is shown as Mean ± SD, and when comparing them, the mean difference is used.
Result: In all, eight publications made up this research. Some studies investigated different types of delays; seven looked at primary and secondary delays, three at secondary and tertiary delays, and four at primary and tertiary delays together. Primary delay was statistically higher than Secondary (MD: 118.2, 95% CI: 45.08 – 191.37, p =0.002) and Tertiary (MD: 140.25, 95% CI: 11.37 – 269.14, p= 0.03) while Secondary delay was not statistically different from Tertiary (MD: 6.2, 95% CI: -0.11 – 12.50, p = 0.05).
Conclusion: Time from the beginning of symptoms to the initial consultation was shown to be the longest delay in the present investigation, followed by secondary and tertiary delays. These delays can lead to disease severity and poor quality of life, and it is important to evaluate and reduce it.

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Published

26-03-2024

How to Cite

Vishwas Kapoor, Dr. Prabhaker Mishra, Dr. Amit Keshri, Dr Punita Lal, Dr. Shagun Misra, & Dr. Uttam Singh. (2024). Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Head and Neck cancer patients: A systematic review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Optics, 45, 53–68. Retrieved from https://appliedopticsjournal.net/index.php/JAO/article/view/115

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Section

Original Research Article