Are Syrian refugee breast cancer patients diagnosed at advanced stage and do they have treatment delays?


Karhan O., Secmeler Ş., Sezgin Y., Ileri S., Yerlikaya H.

Future Oncology, vol.19, no.14, pp.983-989, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 19 Issue: 14
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.2217/fon-2022-1093
  • Journal Name: Future Oncology
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE
  • Page Numbers: pp.983-989
  • Keywords: breast cancer, neoadjuvant, stage, Syrian refugees, treatment delay
  • Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Aim: To compare the clinicopathological features and time to reach treatment of patients with breast cancer among Syrian refugees (SR) and Turkish citizens (TC). Methods: Retrospective data from 2014 to 2021 were extracted from the hospital database. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare the two groups. Results: Data of 88 SR and 402 TC patients were analyzed. The mean age was 45 years for SRs and 50 years for TCs. Breast cancer subtypes were similar in both groups. The de novo metastatic ratio was 23% in SRs and 21.3% in TCs and the time to reach treatment was similar between the two groups. Conclusion: Provided the absence of any obstacle in the healthcare system, SRs are diagnosed and treated like the citizens of their host nation.