Table 5.
Median number of days (interquartile intervals) spent in each interval of the diagnostic process from first symptom to decision of diagnosis/treatment.
| Patient interval median (IQI) |
Primary care interval median (IQI) |
Local hospital interval median (IQI) |
Sarcoma centre interval median (IQI) |
Diagnostic interval median (IQI) |
Total interval median (IQI) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 545 | n = 416 | n = 386 | n = 545 | n = 545 | n = 545 | |
| All patients | 54 (12 : 241) | 8 (1 : 36.5) | 26.5 (13 : 58) | 15 (9 : 22) | 50 (30 : 98) | 155 (61 : 423) |
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 48.5 (9 : 182) | 11 (1 : 39.5) | 23 (13 : 60) | 16 (11 : 23) | 52 (31 : 98) | 144.5 (60 : 341) |
| Male | 59 (13 : 319) | 4 (1 : 35) | 28 (13 : 54) | 15 (8 : 22) | 50 (29 : 99) | 158 (62 : 507) |
| Age | ||||||
| <20 | 31 (15 : 84) | 22 (2 : 73) | 21 (11 : 58) | 15 (8 : 20) | 55 (30 : 139) | 118 (47 : 259) |
| 20–39 | 76 (21 : 539) | 12 (1 : 49) | 36.5 (18.5 : 102) | 17 (11 : 25) | 57 (33 : 148) | 184 (77 : 924) |
| 40–59 | 110 (17 : 349) | 7.5 (1 : 36) | 32.5 (16 : 72) | 15 (8 : 22) | 62 (31 : 106) | 225 (78 : 591) |
| ≥60 | 36.5 (4 : 134) | 3.5 (1 : 33) | 21 (11 : 43) | 15 (9 : 23) | 42.5 (27 : 78) | 99 (46 : 240) |
| Pt had or developed lump | ||||||
| No | 38.5 (1 : 215) | 22 (4 : 58) | 24 (9 : 67) | 19 (11 : 28) | 57.5 (35 : 116.5) | 147 (49.5 : 342.5) |
| Yes | 59 (17 : 251) | 3 (1 : 31) | 28 (15 : 54) | 15 (9 : 21) | 49 (28 : 98) | 156 (63 : 507) |
| Patient had or developed pain | ||||||
| No | 33.5 (3 : 236.5) | 1 (1 : 31) | 23.5 (12 : 47) | 15 (9 : 21.5) | 41 (26 : 84) | 95 (43.5 : 389.5) |
| Yes | 76 (20 : 241) | 13 (1 : 44) | 29 (14 : 65.5) | 16 (9 : 22) | 58 (34 : 134) | 182 (77 : 465) |
| Tumour size 1 | ||||||
| Under 5 cm | 46 (9 : 200) | 12 (1 : 40) | 30 (15 : 62) | 15 (8 : 22) | 56 (32 : 106) | 147 (59 : 383) |
| Over 5 cm | 63 (15 : 319) | 14 (1 : 45) | 23 (13 : 52) | 16 (9 : 23) | 57 (33 : 107) | 180 (76.5 : 571) |
| Tumour depth 2 | ||||||
| Subcutaneous | 86 (15 : 528) | 1 (1 : 36) | 28 (15 : 54) | 13 (8 : 20) | 42 (28 : 91) | 181 (60 : 734) |
| Subfascial | 58.5 (14 : 234) | 7 (1 : 29) | 29 (15 : 56) | 15 (9 : 21) | 55 (31.5 : 100.5) | 147 (65 : 416) |
| GP suspected malignancy at initial referral 3 | ||||||
| No | 81 (22 : 319) | 9 (1 : 45) | 38 (20 : 78) | 15 (9 : 22) | 63 (38 : 139) | 197 (90 : 690) |
| Yes | 45 (11 : 141) | 4 (1 : 25) | 18 (9.5 : 28) | 15 (8 : 21) | 34 (21 : 58) | 94 (45 : 215) |
| Referred from Aarhus local uptake area | ||||||
| No | 55 (11 : 227) | 8 (1 : 40) | 28 (15 : 58) | 15 (9 : 22) | 35 (21 : 88) | 158 (63 : 401) |
| Yes | 43 (13 : 323) | 3 (1 : 28) | 18 (6 : 47) | 16 (9 : 25) | 56 (33 : 106) | 135 (51 : 469) |
| Diagnosis | ||||||
| Sarcomas | 77 (11 : 261) | 17 (1 : 56) | 29 (15 : 56) | 17 (10 : 24) | 65 (42 : 133) | 176 (83 : 673) |
| Other malignancies | 38 (6 : 97) | 12.5 (1 : 25) | 15 (7 : 32) | 20 (14 : 26) | 44 (27.5 : 68) | 103 (49.5 : 202.5) |
| Benign | 54 (13 : 296) | 4 (1 : 35) | 28 (16 : 62) | 15 (8 : 21) | 48 (29 : 91) | 158 (59 : 507) |
| Malignancy grade 4 | ||||||
| Low-grade | 213 (26 : 963) | 21.5 (1 : 50) | 29 (19 : 47) | 17 (8 : 23) | 60 (43 : 103) | 250 (108 : 1665) |
| High-grade | 41 (8 : 154) | 17 (1 : 57) | 29 (13 : 58) | 17 (13 : 25) | 71 (42 : 140) | 164 (69 : 376) |
n = total number of patients with available dates for calculation of this interval.
1Analysis included only patients with data for tumor size measured on MRI/CT or histology.
2Analysis included only patients with soft tissue tumors.
3Analysis included only patients with data available for this variable. Patients who were not seen by the GP and patients where the GP had not answered the question were excluded from the analysis.
4Analysis included only sarcoma patients.