Photo Credit: Pradit Ph

Longer time to surgery (TTS) for patients with breast cancer is associated with poorer survival. In a study published in Annals of Surgical Oncology, Gabriella N. Tortorello, MD, and colleagues investigated whether the knowledge of this association has encouraged timelier care delivery. Using data from the National Cancer Database (2006-2019), the researchers analyzed 1,435,584 patients with stage 0 to 3 breast cancer who underwent surgery as their initial treatment. The median TTS rose from 26 days in 2006 to 39 days in 2019 (P<0.001). Adjusted linear regression showed an annual TTS increase of 0.83 days (95% CI, 0.82-0.85; P<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed consistent TTS increases across various demographics and clinical characteristics. Prolonged TTS was significantly associated with Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, Medicaid or uninsured status, mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery. These findings highlight a concerning trend toward longer TTS, which could adversely affect marginalized populations.