Delayed Treatment Initiation and Its Associated Factors among Cancer Patients at Northwest Amhara Referral Hospital Oncology Units: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Cancer is one of the major non-communicable diseases that impose an enormous burden both in low and middle-income countries. A cancer patient’s chance of survival is mainly determined by the time to treatment initiation, and when it is delayed, there is a lower chance of survival. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of delayed cancer treatment initiation and its associated factors among patients at the oncology units of Northwest Amhara referral hospitals. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 cancer patients enrolled in treatment between April 3, 2018, and August 13, 2021, at Northwest Amhara referral hospital oncology units. A systematic random sampling technique was applied to select study participants. The data was analyzed with Stata 14.1. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with delayed cancer treatment initiation at a p-value < 0.05. Results: Out of 415 patients included in the analysis, 275 (66.3%) were females, and the median age was 46 years (IQR: 40–54 years). The magnitude of delayed cancer treatment initiation was nearly 43%, and associated with the lowest wealth index level (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.03–4.94), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 (AOR = 3.38; 95% CI: 1.11–10.31), presence of comorbid illness (AOR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.33–3.22), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score of two (AOR = 2.78; 95% CI: 1.29–5.94). Conclusion: A significant proportion of cancer patients were delayed in starting treatment. But it could be addressed by providing information about the negative consequences of delay.