Increasing Wait Times for Cancer Treatment

Wait times for initiating cancer treatment have increased by around two weeks in the U.S. over the last decade, according to recent findings published in JAMA Surgery. The study conducted by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles and Massachusetts General Hospital assessed data from over two million patients diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2023.

Study Focus

The research focused on adults at early to locally advanced stages of six common cancers: breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, stomach, and esophageal. These patients underwent surgery as part of their initial treatment.

Tracking Wait Times

Wait times were measured from diagnosis to the start of treatment, whether it involved surgery or pre-surgical therapy aimed at reducing tumor size. A growth of over 10 days in median wait times across these cancers was observed during the study period, irrespective of treatment order.

Research Analysis

Using data from the National Cancer Database, researchers investigated delays in treatment among a cohort of more than 2.7 million patients. For stomach cancer, the wait increased from 35 to 49 days, and for lung cancer, from 41 to 53 days. Breast cancer saw waits extend from 34 to 45 days, while colon cancer experienced delays from 20 to 31 days.

Pancreatic cancer waits rose from 23 to 32 days, and esophageal cancer delays grew from 38 to 48 days. An increasingly larger portion of patients had wait times exceeding 60 days.

Impact on Healthcare

Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News, emphasized the need to address these rising wait times in the healthcare system.

Even at high-volume academic centers, increasing waits were noted. “The waiting times for basic cancer operations in non-metastatic diseases is high and increasing since 2012,” Siegel stated. Adjustments for age and health factors revealed varied impacts of delays on different groups.

Disparities in Wait Times

Longer wait times were more prevalent for Black patients, Medicaid recipients, those in lower-income areas, individuals needing travel for care, and patients treated at academic or high-volume hospitals.

Regional Differences

The West faced longer delays than other regions. Additionally, for non-breast cancers, robotic surgery was linked to increased waiting periods.

Consequences of Delays

The study authors pointed out previous research relating surgical delays to worsened survival rates. Supporting commentary from Stanford School of Medicine highlighted the sophistication of cancer care over the past two decades but cautioned about potential barriers as care regionalizes.

Limitations

Some limitations were acknowledged, including the use of retrospective data which could not clarify specific reasons for individual delays such as scheduling, logistics, or patient choices. Additionally, the initial onset of symptoms or advice-seeking prior to diagnosis was not documented.