Cancer treatment delays surge across US as doctor warns system ‘needs fixing immediately’

Wait times between a cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment grew by nearly two weeks over the past decade in the U.S., according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery.

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.

The study tracked adults with early to locally advanced stages of six common cancers (breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, stomach and esophageal) who received surgery as part of their initial care.

However, “as cancer care continues to regionalize, efforts to improve quality may inadvertently create barriers to timely treatment unless capacity and coordination evolve in parallel,” they wrote.

The authors noted several limitations to their study. Because the analysis relied on retrospective data from the National Cancer Database, it could not determine the exact reasons behind individual treatment delays, such as scheduling issues, logistical hurdles or personal patient preferences.

The database also lacked information on when patients first developed symptoms or sought medical advice prior to diagnosis.