{"title":"Factors Influencing Time From Diagnosis to Treatment of Breast Cancer and the Impact of Longer Waiting Time on Survival in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: A Population-Based Study.","authors":"Ranjeeta Subedi, Nehmat Houssami, Carolyn Nickson, Meghnath Dhimal, Michael David, Xue Qin Yu","doi":"10.1200/GO.24.00095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO.24.00095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Longer time between breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and treatment initiation is associated with poorer survival, and this may be a factor behind disparities in global survival rates. We assessed time to BC treatment in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, including factors associated with longer waiting times and their impact on survival.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective population-based study of BC cases recorded in the Kathmandu Valley Population-Based Cancer Registry between 2018 and 2019. Fieldwork survey through telephone was undertaken to collect additional sociodemographic and clinical information. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with longer time to treatment, and Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine survival time and evaluate the association between longer time to treatment and survival.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 385 patients with BC, one third waited >4 weeks from diagnosis to initial treatment. Lower education was associated with longer time to treatment (adjusted odds ratio, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.03 to 2.60]). The overall 3-year survival rate was 88.6% and survival was not associated with time to treatment (<i>P</i> = .50). However, advanced stage at diagnosis was associated with poorer survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.09 [95% CI, 1.27 to 13.23]). There was some indication that longer time to treatment was associated with poorer survival for advanced-stage patients, but data quality limited that analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, women with a lower education tend to wait longer from BC diagnosis to treatment. Patients with advanced-stage BC had poorer survival, and longer waiting time may be associated with poorer survival for women diagnosed with advanced-stage disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400095"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141874855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cancer Care Disparities: Overcoming Barriers to Cancer Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.","authors":"Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu, Chen-Chih Chung","doi":"10.1200/GO.23.00439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO.23.00439","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rising global burden of cancer disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for over half of new patients and cancer deaths worldwide. However, LMIC health systems face profound challenges in implementing comprehensive cancer control programs because of limited health care resources and infrastructure. This analytical review explores contemporary evidence on barriers undermining cancer control efforts in resource-constrained LMIC settings. We conducted a comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed evidence on cancer control challenges and solutions tailored to resource-limited settings. We provide a conceptual framework categorizing these barriers across the cancer care continuum, from raising public awareness to palliative care. We also appraise evidence-based strategies proposed to overcome identified obstacles to cancer control in the published literature, including task-shifting to nonspecialist health workers, strategic prioritization of high-impact interventions, regional collaborations, patient navigation systems, and novel financing mechanisms. Developing strong primary care delivery platforms integrated with specialized oncology care, alongside flexible and resilient health system models tailored to local contexts, will be critical to curb the rising tide of cancer in resource-limited settings. Urgent global commitments and investments are needed to dismantle barriers and expand access to prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliation services for all patients with cancer residing in LMICs as an ethical imperative. The review elucidates priority areas for policy actions, health systems strengthening, and future research to guide international efforts toward more equitable cancer control globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2300439"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142035916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erratum: Factors Affecting Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Delays in Ukraine.","authors":"","doi":"10.1200/GO-24-00376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-24-00376","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400376"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142086112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sharminii Jaya-Prakason, Yek-Ching Kong, Cheng-Har Yip, Mee-Hoong See, Nur Aishah Taib, Nur Fadhlina Abdul Satar, Suniza Jamaris, Li Ying Teoh, Rose Irnawaty Ibrahim, Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy
{"title":"Trends in Presentation, Management, and Survival of Women With Breast Cancer in a Multiethnic, Middle-Income Asian Setting.","authors":"Sharminii Jaya-Prakason, Yek-Ching Kong, Cheng-Har Yip, Mee-Hoong See, Nur Aishah Taib, Nur Fadhlina Abdul Satar, Suniza Jamaris, Li Ying Teoh, Rose Irnawaty Ibrahim, Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy","doi":"10.1200/GO.24.00054","DOIUrl":"10.1200/GO.24.00054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Granular data on breast cancer (BC) are pertinent for surveillance, planning, and monitoring of cancer care delivery. We determined the trends in clinical presentation, management, and survival of women with BC in a multiethnic middle-income Asian setting over 15 years.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data of 7,478 Malaysian women newly diagnosed with invasive BC between 2005 and 2019 from three hospital-based cancer registries were included. Trends in demographic, tumor, and treatment characteristics were compared across period 1 (P1): 2005-2009, period 2 (P2): 2010-2014, and period 3 (P3): 2015-2019. Overall survival and net survival were determined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>More women in P3 than P1 were older than 60 years at diagnosis. Only a marginal increase in proportion of women with stage I disease was observed (23.7% <i>v</i> 27.2% in P1 and P3, respectively, <i>P</i> = .004). Nonetheless, patients were increasingly presenting with smaller tumors, fewer axillary node involvement, well-differentiated tumors, and hormone receptor expression in recent times. Proportion of women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressed tumors significantly decreased. Among indicated patients, receipt of anticancer therapies was somewhat similar over the calendar periods, except for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy, where increases in administration were noted. Significant improvements in survival were observed over the 15 years, particularly for HER2-overexpressed BCs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although the improvements in BC survival that we have observed validate ongoing cancer control efforts and treatment advances, study findings suggest that more could be done for earlier detection and improved access to effective therapies in our settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400054"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141874773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erratum: A Feasibility Study of a Behavioral Intervention to Increase Uptake of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination in Envigado, Colombia.","authors":"","doi":"10.1200/GO-24-00385","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-24-00385","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400385"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142080335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erratum: Deciphering the Nuclear Role of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Prostate Cancer: Transcriptional Reprogramming and Neuroendocrine Differentiation.","authors":"","doi":"10.1200/GO-24-00382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-24-00382","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400382"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142080338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erratum: If I Have the Courage…I Prefer to See a Doctor: A Qualitative Exploration of Ethiopian Women's Hesitancy to Screen for Cervical Cancer Using HPV Self-Sampling.","authors":"","doi":"10.1200/GO-24-00375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-24-00375","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400375"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142086113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erratum: Imparting Knowledge to Others: A Qualitative Study Exploring How Ethiopian Women Prefer to Receive Cervical Cancer Education.","authors":"","doi":"10.1200/GO-24-00374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-24-00374","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400374"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142086114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gilbert Olbara, Festus Njuguna, Mary Ann Etling, Sandra Langat, Martha Kipng'etich, Charles N Nessle, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Terry A Vik, Tyler S Severance
{"title":"Clinical Impact of Project ECHO in Children With Cancer in Western Kenya: A Case Series.","authors":"Gilbert Olbara, Festus Njuguna, Mary Ann Etling, Sandra Langat, Martha Kipng'etich, Charles N Nessle, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Terry A Vik, Tyler S Severance","doi":"10.1200/GO-24-00279","DOIUrl":"10.1200/GO-24-00279","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400279"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142107588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experiences and Satisfaction With Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspectives of Patients With Cancer in Australia.","authors":"Arnav Nanda, Lyn Ley Lam, Jodi Lynch, Hussein Soudy","doi":"10.1200/GO.24.00081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1200/GO.24.00081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>There has been a significant rise in telehealth consultations across Australia since COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic. We aimed to obtain patient feedback on telehealth, identify key strengths and weaknesses, and assess the feasibility of telehealth beyond the pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A survey was developed to obtain patient feedback on telehealth. Patients attending medical oncology clinics at St George Hospital and Sutherland Hospital from April 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020, were identified. Patients who were reviewed via phone or videoconference were included in this study. Eligible patients were texted or emailed a survey link within a week of their telehealth consultation. Surveys were anonymous and completion of the survey implied informed consent. Patients who did not have a mobile number or e-mail were excluded from this study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One thousand fifty-nine patients were reviewed during the study period, of whom 644 (60%) were reviewed via telehealth. The survey response rate was 36.3% (230 patients responded of 634 surveys sent). Ten telehealth patients did not have a mobile number or email and were excluded. Sixty-seven percent of telehealth consults were for active surveillance, 31% for prechemotherapy/treatment reviews, 1.6% for best supportive care, and 0.5% for new consults. Seventy percent of patients were satisfied that their medical needs were met via telehealth. Ninety percent wanted another telehealth consult, and 73% wanted telehealth to continue post resolution of the pandemic. Minimizing risk of exposure to COVID-19 and patient convenience were identified as key strengths of telehealth while absence of physical examination was the main disadvantage.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Majority of the patients surveyed were satisfied that telehealth safely met their medical needs. There is a considerable demand for telehealth to continue beyond the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":14806,"journal":{"name":"JCO Global Oncology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e2400081"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141874853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}