INCREASED BREAST CANCER INCIDENCE AND SOCIETAL FACTORS AFFECTING INDEX PRESENTATION AT LABASA HOSPITAL,FIJI melanie.m.flaherty@gmail.com

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INCREASED BREAST CANCER INCIDENCE AND SOCIETAL FACTORS AFFECTING INDEX PRESENTATION AT LABASA HOSPITAL,FIJI

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New Zealand

Oral or Poster

Breast cancer disproportionately affects low and middle income countries with increased mortality rates compared to high income countries.For the Pacific Island country of Fiji, numerous factors have been hypothesised for the high mortality rate.Delay in initial presentation is thought to be a major contributor. This delay is poorly understood.

A retrospective mixed method study of patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at Labasa Hospital in Fiji from 2018-2022 was conducted.Incidence and mortality rates were obtained from hospital records. Further demographic information and factors pertaining to index hospital presentation were obtained from patient interviews.

There were 112 histologically confirmed cases of breast cancer at Labasa Hospital with an increase in incidence over the study period from 13 to 24.3/100000 (<0.05).Sixty-three patients were able to be interviewed with a mean age of 55.2 years (+/-13.4). The mean time from symptom onset to initial presentation was 86.5 weeks (+/-152) and the time from diagnosis to treatment was 13.4 weeks (+/-12.4)Six major themes were identified as barriers to early hospital presentation. These were lack of knowledge, fear, health care system delay, preferences for alternative treatment, financial difficulties and lack of family support.

Breast cancer incidence continues to rise in Fiji with substantial delays from symptom onset to initial presentation. Six major themes were identified as reasons for the delay in presentation