Mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) in Hungary is the highest in Europe. It was
the aim of the present study to determine the wait times from first presentation to
diagnosis, in a sample of Hungarian patients with CRC, as well as to assess the stages
of CRC at diagnosis.A retrospective study based on data from 212 patients with CRC
in Baranya county was carried out. Data extraction was performed from 26 GP practices
and from the database of the University of Pécs Clinical Center. Total Diagnostic
Interval (TDI) was determined as the number of days from the first patient-physician
consultation with symptoms until the pathologically confirmed date of diagnosis. Total
Treatment Interval (TTI) was calculated until the first day of any form of treatment.
Statistical analyses, descriptive analysis and analysis of variance, were performed.A
minority (36.8%) of the diagnosed CRC cases were early stage cancers (Stages I-II),
while the majority (59.9%) of the cases were diagnosed as advanced stage (Stages III-IV)
cancers. The median TDI was 41 days, and the median TTI was 67 days. There was a wide
range between minimum and maximum waiting times regarding both diagnosis and initiation
of therapy (369-371 days).Wait times to diagnosis and treatment of CRC in Hungary
are similar to Western countries however the ratio of advanced cancers at diagnosis
is higher. The cause of late diagnosis may be due to patient delay, indicating the
need for implementation of primary and secondary prevention.
