Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study
Background and objective Timely diagnosis of breast cancer plays a vital role in improving treatment outcomes and increasing patient survival. However, contextual factors such as cultural beliefs, healthcare system structural limitations, and socioeconomic challenges can contribute to diagnostic del...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2025-08-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e095826.full |
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| author | Reza Negarandeh Marziyeh Lashkari Rebecca Lehto Maryam Janatolmakan |
| author_facet | Reza Negarandeh Marziyeh Lashkari Rebecca Lehto Maryam Janatolmakan |
| author_sort | Reza Negarandeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objective Timely diagnosis of breast cancer plays a vital role in improving treatment outcomes and increasing patient survival. However, contextual factors such as cultural beliefs, healthcare system structural limitations, and socioeconomic challenges can contribute to diagnostic delays. The qualitative study explores the barriers to timely diagnosis from the perspectives of Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.Design and setting A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth, semistructured interviews to explore perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women with advanced breast cancer. Data analysis were performed using MAXQDA software, V.20.Participants 15 Iranian women [mean age 50.6±9.4 (range 38–72)] years with breast cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage.Results Seven participants reported diagnostic delays that exceeded 7 months. Key factors contributing to perceived delays included poorly managed appointments and medical care, care not meeting patient expectations, deceptive marketing practices, cost of diagnostic procedures, lack of knowledge, fears, transcendent beliefs, competing priorities, insufficient support and diagnostic errors.Conclusions Understanding perceived barriers to timely diagnosis in women with advanced breast cancer is key to creating effective strategies that reduce preventable negative outcomes. Study findings have implications for patient education, healthcare quality, and enhancement of communication between providers and patients for delayed diagnosis prevention in respective treatment settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-820c6fe29f414cb4bdab58de9ccb578b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-820c6fe29f414cb4bdab58de9ccb578b2025-08-20T03:47:16ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-08-0115810.1136/bmjopen-2024-095826Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative studyReza Negarandeh0Marziyeh Lashkari1Rebecca Lehto2Maryam Janatolmakan31 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)3 Radiation Oncology Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)4 College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA1 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)Background and objective Timely diagnosis of breast cancer plays a vital role in improving treatment outcomes and increasing patient survival. However, contextual factors such as cultural beliefs, healthcare system structural limitations, and socioeconomic challenges can contribute to diagnostic delays. The qualitative study explores the barriers to timely diagnosis from the perspectives of Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.Design and setting A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth, semistructured interviews to explore perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women with advanced breast cancer. Data analysis were performed using MAXQDA software, V.20.Participants 15 Iranian women [mean age 50.6±9.4 (range 38–72)] years with breast cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage.Results Seven participants reported diagnostic delays that exceeded 7 months. Key factors contributing to perceived delays included poorly managed appointments and medical care, care not meeting patient expectations, deceptive marketing practices, cost of diagnostic procedures, lack of knowledge, fears, transcendent beliefs, competing priorities, insufficient support and diagnostic errors.Conclusions Understanding perceived barriers to timely diagnosis in women with advanced breast cancer is key to creating effective strategies that reduce preventable negative outcomes. Study findings have implications for patient education, healthcare quality, and enhancement of communication between providers and patients for delayed diagnosis prevention in respective treatment settings.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e095826.full |
| spellingShingle | Reza Negarandeh Marziyeh Lashkari Rebecca Lehto Maryam Janatolmakan Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study BMJ Open |
| title | Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among Iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | perceived barriers to timely diagnosis among iranian women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer a qualitative study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e095826.full |
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