Age, other factors linked to delays in melanoma diagnosis
Source: Healio, October 2022
GENEVA — Factors such as age and comorbidities appeared associated with longer time to melanoma diagnosis, according to study results presented at World Cancer Congress.
The diagnostic interval exceeded 1 month for about half of patients analyzed and approached 5 months for 10% of patients.
Rationale and methods
“The diagnostic period is a time of great anxiety for patients and their families, and delays in diagnosis can lead to increased patient anxiety and — in some cases — can lead to disease progression,” Meaghan Mavor, PhD candidate in the department of epidemiology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, said during a presentation. “The purpose of this study was to determine the melanoma diagnostic interval using administrative health data, and to determine factors associated with a longer or shorter diagnostic interval.”