TY - JOUR
T1 - Sociodemographic factors associated with the diagnostic staging of breast cancer in Southern Italy
AU - Montella, M.
AU - Biondi, E.
AU - De Marco, M.
AU - Botti, G.
AU - Tatangelo, F.
AU - Capasso, I.
AU - Marone, A.
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - Background. There are marked regional differences in breast cancer mortality rates in Italy, probably linked to factors such as diagnostic delay, therapeutic strategies, and biologic and sociodemograpbic differences. To investigate a possible link between sociodemographic factors (e.g. age, education, and residence) and delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer, data were evaluated from all such patients from our Institute living in the Campania Region of Southern Italy for 1991-1993. Methods. Patients were grouped into Tis-T1/N0-N+ versus T2-4/N0-N+ and the variables examined were age (60 years), education (≤5 vs. >5 school years) and residence (urban vs. rural). An analysis was made using the Pearson's Chi- square test and the multiple logistic regression. Results. Statistically significant differences were found for both residence (P = 0.04) and education level (P = 0.03) in the older than 60 years age group, but only for residence (P = 0.03) in the 51-60 years age group. The risks according to Mantel-Haenszel were 1.28 for education (P = 0.08) and 1.32 for residence in rural municipalities (P = 0.05). The odds ratio for residence in rural municipalities, adjusted by education and by the education-residence interaction, was 2.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-4.54) in the 51-60 years age group and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.01-3.00) in the older than 60 years age group. Conclusions. These data clearly indicate that residents of rural municipalities, as well as poorly educated subjects, are more likely than their respective counterparts to have a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer.
AB - Background. There are marked regional differences in breast cancer mortality rates in Italy, probably linked to factors such as diagnostic delay, therapeutic strategies, and biologic and sociodemograpbic differences. To investigate a possible link between sociodemographic factors (e.g. age, education, and residence) and delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer, data were evaluated from all such patients from our Institute living in the Campania Region of Southern Italy for 1991-1993. Methods. Patients were grouped into Tis-T1/N0-N+ versus T2-4/N0-N+ and the variables examined were age (60 years), education (≤5 vs. >5 school years) and residence (urban vs. rural). An analysis was made using the Pearson's Chi- square test and the multiple logistic regression. Results. Statistically significant differences were found for both residence (P = 0.04) and education level (P = 0.03) in the older than 60 years age group, but only for residence (P = 0.03) in the 51-60 years age group. The risks according to Mantel-Haenszel were 1.28 for education (P = 0.08) and 1.32 for residence in rural municipalities (P = 0.05). The odds ratio for residence in rural municipalities, adjusted by education and by the education-residence interaction, was 2.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-4.54) in the 51-60 years age group and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.01-3.00) in the older than 60 years age group. Conclusions. These data clearly indicate that residents of rural municipalities, as well as poorly educated subjects, are more likely than their respective counterparts to have a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer.
KW - age
KW - breast cancer
KW - education
KW - residence characteristics
KW - Southern Italy
KW - staging
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U2 - 10.1002/1097-0142(19951101)76:9<1585::AID-CNCR2820760914>3.0.CO;2-O
DO - 10.1002/1097-0142(19951101)76:9<1585::AID-CNCR2820760914>3.0.CO;2-O
M3 - Article
C2 - 8635062
AN - SCOPUS:0028820069
VL - 76
SP - 1585
EP - 1590
JO - Cancer
JF - Cancer
SN - 0008-543X
IS - 9
ER -