Timelines to Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment at a Tertiary Hospital in Botswana

Figures & data

Table 1 Timelines to Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment Among Cervical Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Hospital in Botswana

Variable	Response Rate	Mean (Days)	SD	Median (Days)	Range (Days)
Interval from onset of symptoms to presentation	80/149	187	285.67	120	1–2190
Interval from suspected disease at initial facility to referral to PMH	79/109	17	54.84	1	1–365
Interval from cervical Biopsy to availability of report of results	123/149	38	37.8	27	3–274
Interval from availability of histopathology report to patient review and feedback	79/149	30	44.99	19	1–279
Interval from clinical diagnosis to chemo radiotherapy	81/103	100	68.8	89	16–305
Palliative RT N=45/81		96	74.61	67	16–305
Curative RT N= 36/81		105	61.5	92	30–251
Clinical diagnosis to definitive surgery	7/10	125	110.15	60	29–279

Table 2 Patients’ Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics and Their Comparative Duration of Symptoms at Presentation to Princess Marina Hospital

Characteristics	Response Rate	Mean Duration of Symptoms	Median	Range	SD
Education level
Primary and below	34/57	246.14	135	1–2190	399
Secondary and above	21/50	182.9	90	3–60	179.3
Unknown	25/42	108.32	60	7–365	107.28
Employment
Employed	19/37	183.7	150	3–600	170.2
Unemployed	59/108	190	90	1–2190	318.7
Unknown	2/4	108.5	108.5	7–210	143.5
Marital status
Married	17/37	138	90	2–365	137.8
Unmarried^a	59/105	208.5	120	1–2190	321.8
Unknown	4/7	67.5	45	30–150	56.79
Age
< 50 years	39/86	135.2	90	3–600	142.39
≥50 years	41/63	235	150	1–2190	370
Address
Rural	61/105	193.5	120	2–2190	317
Urban	18/41	152.5	90	1–365	142.2
Unknown	1/3	365	–	–	–
Referral status
Documented referral from other facility	55/109	200	120	1–2190	330.9
Index consultation at PMH (self- referral)	22/34	169.3	120	2–395	149
No documentation of referral status (unknown)	3/6	60	60	–	0
Referral facility level n=109/149
Local clinic	13/20	121.69	42	1–600	180.3
Primary Hospital	24/44	140.38	120	5–365	125.32
District Hospital	12/32	444.7	270	30–2190	618.4
Private clinic	1/4	7	–	–	–
Private Hospital	0/1	–	–	–	–
Other Tertiary Hospital (NRH)	4/8	138	144	90–180	34.2
HIV Serostatus
Positive	49/97	165.06	90	1–2190	319.12
Negative	22/41	248.7	210	5–1095	239.17
Unknown	9/11	150.9	60	2–395	170.7
Cervical cancer screening history in last 3 years
Yes	32/57	176.5	75	1–1095	220.37
No	44/77	198.12	135	2–2190	335.8
Unknown	4/5	138	90	7–365	158.2

Note: ^aSingle, widowed and divorced.

Figure 1 Median duration of symptoms at presentation and median diagnosis to intervention interval among cervical cancer patients admitted at Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana, 2012–2014.

Figure 2 Cervical cancer patient’s pathway to diagnosis and treatment at Princess Marina Hospital.