Oncology Outside the Capital: Experience at the Rivera Teaching Center

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in our country. Breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers account for approximately half of the cancer cases in the country. In the department of Rivera, the incidence of cancer in both men and women during the period 2016-2020 showed high values for prostate and breast cancer.

Objective: To describe and analyze the clinical-epidemiological profile of patients treated at the COMERI Sanatorium, Rivera, during the period 2015-2022.
Materials and Methods: Observational, retrospective study that included cancer patients treated at the COMERI Sanatorium in the city of Rivera, during the period 2015-2022.
Results: A total of 254 patients were included, 130 were women with a median age of 63 years, while for men it was 66 years. The most common tumors were breast (25%), colorectal (16%), and prostate (13%). Regarding treatment criteria, among patients with stage I-III tumors, 16% remained under exclusive monitoring, 6% received neoadjuvant treatment, 42% received adjuvant treatment, and 22% underwent radical treatment. Of the patients with stage IV tumors, 12% received tumor-specific treatment and 2% received symptomatic palliative care. The time between diagnosis and the first oncological treatment was ≤ 2 months for 70% of patients, and ≤3 months for the remaining 30%. Twenty percent of patients were discussed in Tumor Board meetings. All patients with disseminated disease were referred for follow-up in conjunction with the Palliative Care Unit (PCU).
Conclusions: Cancer is a major health issue in Uruguay. The data obtained from this study can assist in planning improvements in infrastructure, logistics, equipment, and healthcare personnel, thereby optimizing the quality of services provided at the COMERI Sanatorium.