Socioeconomic factors and cancer diagnosis time in Latin America: evidence from EQUITYCancer-LA
Abstract
Background: Socioeconomic (SE) inequalities influence access to cancer care, yet evidence on their role in time to diagnosis remains limited, despite its impact on cancer outcomes. This study, within the EquityCancer-LA project, examines the association between SE factors and time to cancer diagnosis in three Latin American countries - Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Methods: We analysed survey data from cancer patients in Chile (n = 336), Colombia (n = 351), and Ecuador (n = 361), collected between 2022 and 2023. Provider-related time from first consultation to diagnosis (in days) was modelled using log-normal regression. SE variables included education, income, employment status, and housing conditions. Models assessed associations between time to diagnosis and SE factors individually and jointly, adjusting for age, sex, and cancer type. Quantile regression explored variations across the delay distribution.
Results: A preliminary analysis showed that most participants had low to middle SE status, with primary/secondary education, unemployment or inactivity, and income below two minimum wages. Time to diagnosis was longer in Colombia compared to Chile and Ecuador. In adjusted models, SE variables were not significantly associated with time to diagnosis. In Colombia, lower income was linked to 41% longer delays, although not statistically significant after adjustment. No consistent patterns were observed across countries, and no associations were found when SE factors were analysed jointly. Quantile regression suggested variation across the delay distribution, without consistent patterns.
Conclusions: Preliminary results show that SE factors alone may not be the main drivers of delays in cancer diagnosis in these settings, indicating that other factors, including health system factors, may play a more prominent role. Further analyses should however address heterogeneity issues, namely between cancer types and timing of hurdles across the care pathway.
Key messages: • Socioeconomic factors showed limited and inconsistent association with time to cancer diagnosis across countries.
• Reducing diagnostic delays may require broader system-level action beyond SE inequalities.
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BibTeX
@article{perelman2026socioeconomic,
title = {{Socioeconomic factors and cancer diagnosis time in Latin America: evidence from EQUITYCancer-LA}},
author = {JP Perelman and AG Gama and IV Vargas and MRV Rubio-Valera and PE Eguiguren and AMP Mogollon-Perez and ALT Torres and SJ Jervelund and MLV Vazquez and SD Dias},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.803},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.803},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Socioeconomic factors and cancer diagnosis time in Latin America: evidence from EQUITYCancer-LA
AU - JP Perelman
AU - AG Gama
AU - IV Vargas
AU - MRV Rubio-Valera
AU - PE Eguiguren
AU - AMP Mogollon-Perez
AU - ALT Torres
AU - SJ Jervelund
AU - MLV Vazquez
AU - SD Dias
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.803
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.803
AB - Background: Socioeconomic (SE) inequalities influence access to cancer care, yet evidence on their role in time to diagnosis remains limited, despite its impact on cancer outcomes. This study, within the EquityCancer-LA project, examines the association between SE factors and time to cancer diagnosis in three Latin American countries - Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. Methods: We analysed survey data from cancer patients in Chile (n = 336), Colombia (n = 351), and Ecuador (n = 361), collected between 2022 and 2023. Provider-related time from first consultation to diagnosis (in days) was modelled using log-normal regression. SE variables included education, income, employment status, and housing conditions. Models assessed associations between time to diagnosis and SE factors individually and jointly, adjusting for age, sex, and cancer type. Quantile regression explored variations across the delay distribution. Results: A preliminary analysis showed that most participants had low to middle SE status, with primary/secondary education, unemployment or inactivity, and income below two minimum wages. Time to diagnosis was longer in Colombia compared to Chile and Ecuador. In adjusted models, SE variables were not significantly associated with time to diagnosis. In Colombia, lower income was linked to 41% longer delays, although not statistically significant after adjustment. No consistent patterns were observed across countries, and no associations were found when SE factors were analysed jointly. Quantile regression suggested variation across the delay distribution, without consistent patterns. Conclusions: Preliminary results show that SE factors alone may not be the main drivers of delays in cancer diagnosis in these settings, indicating that other factors, including health system factors, may play a more prominent role. Further analyses should however address heterogeneity issues, namely between cancer types and timing of hurdles across the care pathway. Key messages: • Socioeconomic factors showed limited and inconsistent association with time to cancer diagnosis across countries. • Reducing diagnostic delays may require broader system-level action beyond SE inequalities.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -