US Cancer Treatment Waits Lengthen Over 10 Days for 6 Cancers

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 17

More than 2.7 million U.S. patients saw median time from diagnosis to first treatment rise by over 10 days across six common cancers from 2012 to 2023, according to a JAMA Surgery study.
Stomach cancer posted the biggest increase—35 to 49 days—while lung cancer rose from 41 to 53 days; breast, colon, pancreatic and esophageal cancers all also recorded double-digit increases.
A growing share of patients waited 60 days or longer, with longer delays concentrated among Black patients, Medicaid enrollees, lower-income communities, long-distance travelers and patients treated at academic or high-volume centers.
Researchers and outside commentators said increasingly regionalized, complex cancer care may be outpacing system capacity and coordination, a concern because prior studies have linked surgical delays to higher mortality and worse long-term survival.