Background: Delays in breast cancer diagnosis can allow the disease to progress to an incurable stage. However, factors that cause patients to delay seeking treatment are unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify behavioral economic factors and personality characteristics of patients with breast cancer who had a delayed diagnosis.
Methods: We analyzed questionnaires completed by 41 patients with breast cancer. A delayed diagnosis was defined if the time between the first symptom and the medical visit was more than 6 months.
Results: We found 11 patients who had a delayed diagnosis. The significant characteristics associated with patients with breast cancer who had delayed diagnosis were: (i) less experience with breast cancer screening; (ii) progressive disease stage; and (iii) low time and future time preference. We found no significant behavioral economic factors other than time preference, and personality that differed between patients with breast cancer who did and did not have a delayed diagnosis.
Conclusion: Low time preference rate is a characteristic of patients with breast cancer who had a delayed diagnosis.
Keywords: behavioral economics; breast cancer; diagnostic delay.