Factors influencing delay in treatment of cancer of rectum and colon in Israel.

One hundred cases of malignant tumor of the colon and rectum were reviewed to determine the delay interval from onset of symptoms to operation and the factors contributing to the delay. The mean overall delay interval was 7.43 months, which is relatively long as compared with findings reported in the Western literature during recent years. In 35%, there was a mean delay of six months because of failure of the patient to consult a physician in the early stages of the disease. More serious was the finding in 62% of the patients of a doctor-caused delay of six months, because of hasty, erroneous diagnosis made without comprehensive investigation. Administrative factors caused a delay of about two months in 24% of the patients. Our findings indicated a direct correlation between duration of the delay and spread of the malignancy, with an evident tendency for a shorter delay interval among patients with carcinoma classified as Dukes' stage A. Both the public and the general physician must be educated as to the importance of early consultation and careful consideration of the patient's complaints so as to reach the correct diagnosis as soon as possible.