Determinants of Survival among Hospitalized Breast Cancer Patients in the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Northern Region in Ghana, 2024

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, breast cancer poses a considerable threat to women’s survival. In Ghana, there is limited research on hospitalized survival outcomes and determinants of survival among breast cancer patients, particularly in Northern Ghana. This study assessed determinants of hospitalized survival among breast cancer inpatients at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records of 463 hospitalized breast cancer patients admitted to the Tamale Teaching Hospital between 2014 and 2023. Data on sociodemographic, clinicopathological, and health system factors were extracted. Kaplan–Meier methods were used to estimate hospitalized survival, and Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to identify determinants of survival. Results: Of the 463 patients reviewed, 11.2% died during hospitalization. The median hospitalized survival time was not reached, with 75% of patients staying beyond 29 days. Multivariate analysis identified farming occupation (HR = 0.053, 95% CI: 0.005–0.603), health insurance coverage (HR = 0.464, 95% CI: 0.23–0.92), and undergoing surgery (HR = 0.051, 95% CI: 0.01–0.37) as significant predictors of improved hospitalized survival. Conclusion: This study found a 75% hospitalized survival rate among breast cancer patients in Northern Ghana. Improved survival was associated with occupation, surgical treatment, health insurance coverage, and absence of comorbidities. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve access to timely surgery and health insurance coverage to enhance survival outcomes.