Wait Times for Cancer Treatment Keep Getting Longer, Study Finds

If you were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past few years, you may have waited longer before your first treatment (usually surgery) than people diagnosed a decade ago. These findings were part of a larger study that looked at how long people waited for their first cancer treatment.

Among more than 2.7 million people diagnosed with stage I, stage II, and stage III breast cancer — or colon, lung, pancreatic, gastric, or esophageal cancer — the time between diagnosis and first treatment increased by 10 or more days from 2012 to 2023.

For breast cancer, the average wait time went from 34 days in 2012 to 45 days in 2023. For colon cancer, wait time went from 20 to 31 days; for lung cancer, 41 to 53 days; for pancreatic cancer, 23 to 32 days; for gastric cancer, 35 to 49 days; and for esophageal cancer, 38 to 48 days.

The percentage of people waiting 30 or more days before their first treatment (what the researchers called a prolonged delay) also increased. From 2012 to 2015, 59% of people with breast cancer waited 30 or more days for their first treatment; that increased to 78% in 2022–2023. The percentage of people waiting 60 or more days (an extreme delay) for first breast cancer treatment also nearly doubled over the same time period. From 2012 to 2015, 19% of people with breast cancer waited 60 or more days for first treatment; that increased to 32% in 2022–2023.

Several factors were linked to people facing longer wait times, including being in the lowest income bracket, having Medicaid insurance, having no insurance, being Black, and having to travel longer for treatment. Having treatment at an academic institution or a high-volume cancer center was also linked to longer wait times.

The researchers noted that the results echo the findings of earlier studies that found inequalities in access to cancer care and suggest that surgery delays contribute to disparities in outcomes.

They also pointed out that the National Cancer Database, where the information on treatment timing came from, doesn’t record the reason for treatment delays. In some cases, people may have decided to get a second opinion. In other cases, people may have opted to schedule surgery after a vacation or other special event.

If you’re concerned about the time between your diagnosis and first treatment, experts recommend asking your cancer treatment center for help from a nurse navigator or case manager. These are people who are familiar with all the specialists and departments at the center and can help streamline the appointment and referral process.