Share

Poorer women delay breast examination

accreditation
iStock

Younger women with limited finances are more likely than others to delay seeking medical attention after finding an abnormality in their breast, according to a new study.

The study of nearly 600 women recently diagnosed with breast cancer suggested that strategies to improve early diagnosis of breast cancer should take a woman's financial situation into account.

"Because we discovered that women who are less financially comfortable are more likely to delay seeking medical attention for breast abnormalities that later are diagnosed as breast cancer, it appears that economic disparity may be an important consideration in future development of interventions to reduce delays," said study leader Dr Kathryn Ruddy, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The study was published online in the journal Cancer.

Improving timelines

"The findings may lead to research focusing on whether reducing co-pays and hidden costs of seeking medical care – such as parking charges, child-care expenses and lost wages – may improve the timeliness of diagnosis in this population," Ruddy said in a journal news release.

The survey of women aged 40 and younger revealed that 80% of them found an abnormality in their breast on their own. Seventeen percent waited at least three months before seeing a doctor.

Moreover, 12% of the women who delayed seeing a doctor experienced a lapse of at least 90 days between that appointment and receiving their diagnosis.

Major delays in seeking treatment affect only a minority of women who detect their own breast cancer, the researchers said. As a result, other factors, such as the type of tumour, likely have a bigger influence on breast cancer results.

More information

The US National Cancer Institute provides more information on cancer health disparities.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE