Waiting Times for Radiotherapy in Southeast England
Author Information
Author(s): Robinson D, Massey T, Davies E, Jack R H, Sehgal A, Møller H
Primary Institution: Thames Cancer Registry, Division of Cancer Studies, Guy's King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine
Hypothesis
This study investigates variations in the length of time that patients with cancer wait from diagnosis to treatment with radiotherapy.
Conclusion
Waiting times for radiotherapy have increased significantly over the years, with substantial variation between different cancer networks and sites.
Supporting Evidence
- Median waiting times for radiotherapy varied from 42 to 65 days across networks.
- The adjusted proportion of patients treated within 60 days declined from 64% in 1992 to 35% in 2001.
- There were significant differences in waiting times between different cancer networks.
- Older patients had shorter waiting times for radiotherapy.
- Waiting times increased significantly over the 10-year study period.
Takeaway
This study looked at how long cancer patients wait for radiotherapy treatment and found that the waiting times have gotten longer over the years.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the Thames Cancer Registry, focusing on patients diagnosed with cancer between 1992 and 2001 who received radiotherapy within 6 months of diagnosis.
Potential Biases
There is a possibility that radiotherapy treatment has been under-ascertained in the data set.
Limitations
The study's measure of waiting time is crude and does not account for delays in referral for radiotherapy or other treatments.
Participant Demographics
The study included 57,426 men and 71,018 women diagnosed with various cancers.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website