US Cancer Care Delays Surged by Over 10 Days, Study Finds
A JAMA Surgery study using National Cancer Database data on more than 2.7 million U.S. patients (2012–2023) found median times from cancer diagnosis to first treatment rose by more than 10 days across six common cancers, with stomach and lung cancers showing the largest increases (e.g., 35→49 days and 41→53 days). A growing share of patients waited 60 days or longer, and delays persisted after adjusting for age and health, disproportionately affecting Black patients, Medicaid recipients, those in lower‑income areas, travelers, and care at academic/high‑volume centers. While the exact causes aren’t clear, prior work ties surgical delays to higher mortality, underscoring the need for capacity and coordination as cancer care regionalizes.
