Patient-centered wait time measurement in Ontario.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 233-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Kaizer ◽  
Monika Karolina Krzyzanowska ◽  
Sherrie Hertz ◽  
John Srigley ◽  
Julian Dobranowski ◽  
...  

233 Background: Since 2005, a concerted effort to measure and manage access to chemotherapy services in Ontario has resulted in a significant reduction in several specific wait time intervals (referral for medical oncology consultation and medical oncology consultation to first treatment). To identify other opportunities to improve access, a comprehensive analysis of the all-inclusive wait times from cancer diagnosis to the start of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with early stage colon, breast, and lung cancer (patient centered wait time) has been undertaken. Methods: The study cohort comprised all Ontario patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy in 2009 for early stage colon, breast, and lung cancers. The Ontario Cancer Registry, linked to several administrative healthcare databases in Ontario, was used to identify the cohort and variables of interest. Wait time from diagnosis of cancer to the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy was measured and separated into segments based on the dates of diagnosis (D), surgery (S), referral to medical oncology (R), medical oncology consultation (C), and first adjuvant chemotherapy treatment (T), and each was analyzed for variation at a regional and institutional level. The times from surgery to pathology sign-out (TTPR) and for peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) acquisition were also studied in a subset of cases. Results: In 2009, 86% of patients with stage III colon cancer, 80% of patients with stage I to III breast cancer and 63% of patients with stage II lung cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy started their treatment within 120 days of diagnosis. There was significantly better performance and less regional variation for colon cancer patients (82-93%) than for breast cancer patients (63-90%). For the whole cohort of breast cancer patients, the median total time from diagnosis to adjuvant chemotherapy was 81 days with the following segmental breakdown D-S (30 days), S-R (19 days), R-C (16 days), and C-T (16 days). The mean TTPR for colon cancer patients was 11.6 days and PICC insertion was < 7 days in 92% of patients. Conclusions: A number of opportunities for process improvement were identified, including shortening the pathology reporting interval and the timing for initiating referral to a medical oncologist.

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 666-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. W. Jones ◽  
M. Haykowsky ◽  
C. J. Peddle ◽  
A. A. Joy ◽  
E. N. Pituskin ◽  
...  

666 Background: With improving longevity, post-treatment cardiovascular disorders will become an increasingly important indicator of competing mortality in early-stage breast cancer. As such, we conducted a pilot study to comprehensively evaluate the CVD profile of a subset of early-stage breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant taxane-anthracycline containing chemotherapy and/or trastuzumab. Methods: Twenty-six breast cancer patients (mean 20 months post chemotherapy) who participated in Breast Cancer International Research Group 006 clinical trial and 10 healthy age-matched women were studied. We measured 14 metabolic and vascular established CVD risk factors, BMI, VO2peak and left ventricular systolic function. All assessments were performed within a 14-day period. Results: Cardiac abnormalities were suggested by LVEF <50% in 10% of patients, LVEF remained >10% below pre-treatment values in 38% while 50% presented with resting sinus tachycardia. BNP was significantly elevated in 40% and was correlated with LVEF (r = -0.72, p=<.001). For the majority of CVD risk factors, similar proportions of patients and controls (35% to 60%) were classified as ‘undesirable.’ A significantly higher proportion of patients were classified with low VO2peak (46% vs. 0%, p<0.01), being overweight/obese (72% vs. 50%, p<0.05), and having resting sinus tachycardia (50% vs. 0%, p<0.01) compared with controls. VO2peak and BMI were correlated with CV risk factors (r = -0.64 to 0.63, p<0.05; r = -0.63 to 0.67, p<0.05, respectively). Exploratory analyses revealed several differences between CVD risk factors based on chemotherapy regimen. Conclusions: Breast cancer survivors treated with adjuvant chemotherapy are at a higher risk of developing late-occurring CVD than age matched controls due to direct and indirect treatment-related toxicity. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (26_suppl) ◽  
pp. 93-93
Author(s):  
Rebekah Young ◽  
Kimberly Gergelis ◽  
Shalom Kalnicki ◽  
Jana Lauren Fox

93 Background: Women with early-stage TN breast cancers are at increased risk for recurrence (RR) compared to other molecular subtypes, and are often treated with mastectomy without local adjuvant therapy. We wish to evaluate the RR for these women. Methods: In this single institution retrospective study, women with T1-2N0 TN breast cancer who underwent mastectomy between 2008-12 were identified from tumor registry. Adjuvant chemotherapy was allowed, but adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) was excluded. Of 3,000 cases reviewed, 52 women were identified. Median age was 58.5 (30–90). Lesions were high-grade (83%), and T1-2 (47%, 53%). 21 women (42%) had at least 1 risk factor. 5 women were BRCA+. Women underwent total mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy, and the majority (84%) had adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: At a median follow-up of 3.5 years (6-71 months), there were 8 recurrences (15.4%). 3 (5.8% of cohort) were locoregional (LR) only (2 chest wall (CW) and 1 ipsilateral axilla), 6 (11.5%) involved a concurrent LR and distant recurrence, and 2 (3.8%) were distant only. Median time to recurrence was 17.3 months. The isolated LR recurrences (LRR) were at 14, 15.6 and 15.1 months. Most women (41, 78.8%) were alive with NED. 3 were alive with disease, underdoing treatment, and 1 woman was disease free after treatment for CW recurrence. 8 patients (15.4%) are deceased, half from their cancer. On univariate analysis, there was no significant correlation (p>0.05) between age or high-risk features and RR (STATA v 11). Conclusions: T1-2N0 breast cancer patients are believed to have a low RR following mastectomy. TN disease, however, is more aggressive, and the question of irradiating early stage disease after mastectomy has arisen. A single institution, retrospective study found women with T1-2N0 TN disease fare better with BCT that includes RT, compared to mastectomy alone. Other studies have shown no statistical difference in RR between these 2 groups. We found an isolated LRR rate at 3.5 years of 5.8%. Follow-up and ultimately prospective data is needed to determine whether the isolated LRR warrants a change in treatment recommendations for this pt subset.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 5066-5082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinos Tsiatas ◽  
Konstantine T. Kalogeras ◽  
Kyriaki Manousou ◽  
Ralph M. Wirtz ◽  
Helen Gogas ◽  
...  

2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 954-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina M. Buban ◽  
Brian K. Link ◽  
William R. Doucette

PURPOSE: Little is known about how oncologists’ adopt new treatments for breast cancer. This study investigated influences on oncologists’ adoption of paclitaxel as adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer, 9 months after presentation of phase III data suggesting improved disease-free and overall survival when paclitaxel was added to doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide for such patients. METHODS: Self-reported data were collected with a mail survey of a random sample of 1,200 oncologists practicing in the United States. Using Rogers’ model, we measured four types of influences on adoption of innovation: (1) communication channels, (2) innovation characteristics, (3) a practitioner’s social system, and (4) physician characteristics. Multiple regression analysis assessed the associations between oncologist adoption of paclitaxel for early-stage breast cancer patients and variables representing the modeled influences on adoption. RESULTS: On average, respondents (n = 181) reported having adopted paclitaxel for 37% of their early-stage breast cancer patients. The overall model was significant, with seven variables associated (P ≤ .05) with adoption of paclitaxel. Significant influences on adoption included use of symposia as a therapy information source, physician experience with paclitaxel to treat late-stage breast cancer, and perceived advantage in efficacy of paclitaxel. CONCLUSION: As new modalities become available to treat cancer, it is vital to understand what factors influence oncologists and patients when choosing to use them. Those parties interested in fostering the adoption of new breast cancer treatments should address features of communication channels (eg, use of symposia), characteristics of new treatments (eg, perceived advantage in efficacy), physicians’ social systems (eg, patient requests), and characteristics of potential adopters (eg, previous experience with the treatment).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document