A study published in JAMA Surgery reveals that wait times between cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment have increased by almost two weeks in the last decade in the United States.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Massachusetts General Hospital analyzed national data from more than two million patients diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2023.
“This is a part of our health system that needs to be corrected immediately,” says Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, who was not involved in the study, adding that delays were seen even at academic medical centers with high patient volumes.
Impact on common types of cancer
Six common types of cancer were evaluated: breast, colon, lung, pancreas, stomach and esophagus. Median waits grew by more than 10 days in all of these cancer types, being most noticeable in gastric cancer and lung cancer.
Waiting times by cancer type:
Stomach cancer: increase from 35 to 49 days.
Lung cancer: increase from 41 to 53 days.
Breast cancer: increase from 34 to 45 days.
Colon cancer: increase from 20 to 31 days.
Pancreatic cancer: increase from 23 to 32 days.
Esophageal cancer: increase from 38 to 48 days.
Affected groups
The researchers found that the increase in wait times did not affect all groups uniformly. Groups such as African American patients, people on Medicaid and those in low-income areas experienced longer delays.
The study authors emphasize that delays in surgical treatment have been associated with higher mortality rates and worse long-term survival rates. Specialists warn that these problems in the health care system must be urgently addressed to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Cancers that require more urgent treatments
The cancers that usually require more urgent treatment after diagnosis are those that grow quickly, may spread quickly, or cause an acute complication. These include acute leukemias, aggressive lymphomas, germ cell tumors, small cell lung cancer and some cases of cancer with oncological emergencies such as spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome or hypercalcemia.
What makes it urgent?
Not all cancers need to start treatment right away; some low risk may be observed at first. In contrast, high-grade or rapidly growing tumors are usually treated promptly to reduce the risk of metastasis or organ damage.
Situations that require quick action
There are cancers that become urgent not only because of the type, but also because of the complications they cause. The most typical emergencies include spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, tumor lysis, hypercalcemia, and airway or intestinal obstruction.
Frequent examples:
Warning signs
If a cancer patient presents weakness in the legs, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or neck, confusion, drowsiness or back pain with neurological alterations, this may indicate an oncological emergency and requires immediate attention.
