Impact of Primary Care Delay on Progression of Breast Cancer in a Black African Population: A Multicentered Survey
Table 3
Classes of advice and errors of the First Healthcare Provider (FHP): The most frequent erroneous advice was attempts to treat by excision or antibiotics. The common reasons for long interval despite correct advice were systems related and symptom misinterpretation. The most frequent directive from the FHP was an upward referral or to investigate.
Distribution of correct advice (n)
Distribution of erroneous advice (n)
Upward hierarchical referral (91)
Antibiotics (26)
Investigating (FNAC, USS, mammo) (65)
Removing (26)
Observing (5)
seeking native (1)
Reason for long delay despite correct advice (n)
Reasons for delay in case of incorrect advice (n)
Systems related
Systems related
Awaiting results (7)
Awaiting investigations (2)
Conflicting results (1)
Dislike for tertiary institution (1)
Strike (5)
Strike (1)
Difficult navigation (1)
Symptom misinterpretation (by the patient)
Symptom misinterpretation
no pain (1)
Pregnancy (1)
Thought benign (2)
Thought will disappear (10)
Fear related
Fear of mastectomy (3)
Fear of diagnosis (5)
Fear of biopsy (1)
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis and mistreatment
Told benign (3)
Told benign (4)
Reassured (1)
Using antibiotics (3)
Not referred (3)
Reassured (1)
Not referred (1)
Socioeconomic and cultural
Socioeconomic and cultural
Financial issues (2)
Financial issues (6)
Social responsibility (2)
Spiritual solution (1)
Using herbs (1)
Using herbs (3)
Distribution of directives
Length of primary care interval: ≤ 30 days/ > 30 days
