Statistical analysis of waiting time for breast cancer surgery.

摘要

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among Canadian women. Even though cancer care services have been improving, people still continue complaining about waiting times to access surgery. People are always curious about how long they can survive after diagnosed with breast cancer.;For the waiting time analysis, we investigate the waiting time curve and test the difference on waiting times by diagnosis age group, cancer stage, region, and between urban and rural. For the survival time analysis, we test the difference on survival by cancer stage, region, and between urban and rural, income within urban and within rural. We then identify significant covariates (e.g., waiting times, diagnosis age and cancer stage) that affect survival times. Finally, we select the best statistical model by incorporating significant covariates into the model. Results from this practicum indicate that waiting times are significant different by cancer stage and region. The survival times are significant different by diagnosis age, cancer stage and income within urban.;In this practicum, we use non-parametric (the Kaplan-Meier) method and semi-parametric (Cox regression model) method to do waiting time (e.g., from diagnosis to first surgery) and survival time (e.g., from diagnosis to death or emigration) analysis respectively. The data are from Cancer Registry at CancerCare Manitoba and the Manitoba Health's Population Registration File at Manitoba Health.