IARC 60th Anniversary - 19-21 May 2026
Session : 21/05/26 - Posters
Timing Matters: Stage at Diagnosis and Treatment Initiation among Women with Breast Cancer in Ethiopia
GETACHEW S. 1,2, TESFAW A. 1,2, GIZAW M. 1,2, SEIFE E. 3, DEBEBE S. 1,2, ADDISSIE A. 1,2, KROEBER E. 2, KANTELHARDT E. 2,4
1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2 Global and Planetary Health Working Group, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; 3 Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 4 Department of Gynecology, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany
Background: Despite being the most common malignant tumor among women, recent patterns of breast cancer presentation, diagnosis, and initiation of treatment in Ethiopia have not been well documented to establish baseline findings. This is particularly important given the recent launch of national breast cancer management guidelines, which require baseline data to serve as starting points for monitoring and evaluating performance indicators. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the presentation, diagnosis, and initiation of treatment of breast cancer among women attending public hospitals in Ethiopia.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in eight hospitals in Ethiopia. The medical records of patients diagnosed with breast cancer between September 2022 and October 2024 were reviewed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of advanced stage diagnosis with 95% confidence intervals and a p-value < 0.05 significance level.
Results: A total of 406 patients with breast cancer (mean age 42 ± 9 years) were included. The diagnosis of late-stage disease was 63.5% (162). The diagnosis made within 60 days interval after the first medical contact (post-contact interval) was 62.1% (252). The treatment initiation within 30 days interval after diagnosis was 67.8% (242). Nearly one third (29.1%) of women sought medical care within 90 days after the onset of the symptom. Women who reside in rural area (AOR = 5.2; 95% CI: 2.72, 9.87), patient delay more than 90 days (AOR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.29, 4.81), referral history (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.15, 4.12), and presenting with a breast lump (AOR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.93, 7.13) were predictors for advanced stage diagnosis.
Conclusion/Implications: Despite some progress in diagnostic timelines, the proportion of women presenting with advanced-stage breast cancer remains high in Ethiopia, and timely initiation of treatment continues to be a major challenge. Interventions that strengthen community awareness, decentralize and integrate diagnostic services, improve documentation practices, enhance early detection through primary healthcare integration and patient navigation, and ensure timely initiation of treatment are critically needed. Such interventions are essential to reduce late-stage diagnosis and to improve timely diagnosis and treatment initiation in accordance with the national breast cancer guideline and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) framework.