Surgeon Workload and Breast Cancer Survival
Author Information
Author(s): Mikeljevic J Stefoski, Haward R A, Johnston C, Sainsbury R, Forman D
Primary Institution: Cancer Medicine Research Unit, Cancer Research UK
Hypothesis
Does the concentration of breast cancer patients with specialist surgeons improve survival outcomes?
Conclusion
Patients treated by higher workload surgeons had better survival rates from breast cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- The overall survival rate 5 years after diagnosis was 66%.
- Patients treated by surgeons with a workload of more than 50 cases per year had a 68% survival rate.
- Surgeons with lower workloads had a 10% increased risk of death compared to high-workload surgeons.
Takeaway
If a surgeon sees more breast cancer patients each year, their patients tend to live longer after diagnosis.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from breast cancer patients diagnosed between 1989 and 1994, assessing the impact of surgeon workload on survival using statistical models.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in patient referral patterns could affect the results.
Limitations
The study could not determine if high workloads directly improve outcomes due to unmeasured factors.
Participant Demographics
All female breast cancer patients diagnosed in the Yorkshire region.
Statistical Information
P-Value
1.15 (1.03–1.28)
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.03–1.28
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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