Intervening factors for the initiation of treatment of patients with stomach and colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE: to identify the time between symptoms, the request for care and the beginning of treatment in patients with stomach and colorectal cancer as well as the factors that interfere in these processes. METHOD: correlational descriptive study, including 101 patients diagnosed with stomach or colorectal cancer, treated in a hospital specialized in oncology. RESULTS: the 101 patients investigated there was predominance of males, mean age of 61.7 years. The search for medical care occurred within 30 days after the onset of symptoms, in most cases. The mean total time between the onset of symptoms and the beginning of treatment ranged from 15 to 16 months, and the mean time between the search for medical care and the diagnosis was 4.78 months. The family history of cancer (p=0.008) and the implementation of preventive follow-up (p<0.001) were associated with shorter periods between the search for care and the beginning of treatment. Nausea, vomiting, hematochezia, weight loss and pain were associated with faster demand for care. CONCLUSION: the longer interval between the search for medical care and the diagnosis was possibly due to the non-association between the presented symptoms and the disease.