Benchmarking of the Cervical Cancer Care Cascade and Survival Outcomes after Radiation Treatment in a Low-and Middle-Income Country Setting

Surbhi Grover, Emily Macduffie, Memory Nsingo, Xiudong Lei, Priyanka Mehta, Sonya Davey, Sandra Urusaro, Sebathu Chiyapo, Peter Vuylsteke, Barati Monare, Lisa Bazzett-Matabele, Tlotlo Ralefala, Rebecca Luckett, Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Grace L. Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

PURPOSETimely radiation treatment (RT) is critical in cervical cancer treatment, but patients in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) in sub-Saharan Africa often face barriers that delay care. Time to care was benchmarked in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) setting in Botswana.METHODSTime intervals between steps in care were recorded for 230 patients reviewed at MDT between January 2016 and July 2018. Associations between RT delay and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.RESULTSFor patients who received RT (n = 187; 81.3%), the median biopsy to pathology reporting interval was 25 (IQR, 19-36) days and was 57 (IQR, 28-68) days for patients who did not (P =.003). Intervals in care did not differ between patients who did and did not receive RT. Among treated patients, the uppermost quartile interval from pathology reporting to RT initiation was ≥111 days and that from RT simulation to initiation was ≥12 days. Among patients receiving a RT dose of ≥65 Gy (n = 100), the delay from RT simulation to initiation of >12 days was associated with worse median OS (2.0 v 4.6 years; P =.048); this association trended toward, although did not meet, statistical significance on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio, 2.35; 95% CI, 0.95 to 5.85; P =.07).CONCLUSIONThe MDT-coordinated care model allows for systematic benchmarking of the patient treatment cascade. Barriers to timely treatment exist for this cohort in Botswana, and RT delay may be associated with OS of patients receiving curative treatment. Interventions to accelerate the timing of the radiation oncology care cascade may improve clinical outcomes in this LMIC setting.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere2200397
JournalJCO Global Oncology
Volume9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Cite this