Organization and Evaluation of Performance Indicators of a Breast Cancer Screening Program in Meknes-Tafilalt Region, Morocco

• Published in: Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP Vol. 17; no. 12; pp. 5153 - 5157
• Main Authors: Charaka, Hafida, Khalis, Mohamed, Elfakir, Samira, Khazraji, Youssef Chami, Zidouh, Ahmed, Abousselham, Loubna, El Rhazi, Karima, Lyoussi, Badiaa, Nejjari, Chakib
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: performance indicators; Morocco; screening program; Breast cancer; early detection
• EISSN: 2476-762X
• ISSN: 1513-7368

Objective: The benefits of screening and early detection of breast cancer, including reduced morbidity and mortality, have been well-reported in the literature. In 2011, a breast cancer screening program was launched in Meknes-Tafilalt region of Morocco. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early performance indicators of this program. Materials and Methods: This retrospective evaluative study was conducted between April 2012 and December 2014, in Meknes-Tafilalt region of Morocco. Several performance indicators of the breast cancer screening program were calculated: the compliance rate, the positivity rate, the referral rate, the cancer detection rate and the organizational indicators. Results: During 2012-2014, a total of 184,951 women participated in the breast cancer screening program. The compliance rate was 26%, the positive rate was 3.3%, the referral rate was 36.7%, and the cancer detection rate was 1.2 per 1,000 women. The median time between the date of clinical breast examination and the date of biopsy (or cyto-puncture) was 36 days. The median time between the date of positive mammography and the date of biopsy (or cyto-puncture) was 6 days. The median time between the date of clinical breast examination and the date of the first received treatment was 61 days. Conclusions: The program needs better monitoring, as well as implementation of quality assurance tools to improve performance in our country.