Waiting periods for the initiation of cancer treatment and the factors associated with delays in the Hokushin region of Japan.

[BACKGROUND] Extended waiting periods between cancer diagnosis and treatment initiation may impact patients' quality of life and prognosis. However, few studies have examined the current situation in Japan and the factors influencing these waiting periods.

[METHODS] This study included individuals with gastric cancer (n = 1956), colorectal cancer (n = 2843), lung cancer (n = 3309), and female breast cancer (n = 3172) diagnosed in 2016-17 at 19 facilities in the Hokushin region of Japan. The proportion of patients who waited over 30 days for each cancer type was calculated. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between waiting over 30 days and patient and facility characteristics.

[RESULTS] The proportions of patients who waited over 30 days were 53.7% for gastric cancer, 42.8% for colorectal cancer, 50.5% for lung cancer, and 75.7% for female breast cancer. Among lung cancer patients, elderly patients showed a higher proportion of waiting over 30 days compared to younger patients. Patients at medical institutions with a large number of hospital beds showed higher proportions of waiting over 30 days across multiple cancer types.

[CONCLUSION] In the Hokushin region, patients who waited over 30 days are prevalent among female patients with breast cancer compared to other cancer types, and among older adults with lung cancer compared to younger lung cancer patients, as well as in medical institutions with a large number of hospital beds across cancer types. Hence, efforts to reduce this number are needed.