Median waiting times* between selected events from the time of last surgery or biopsy to first radiation therapy (RT) among patients with potentially curable cancers in Ontario (n = 1754)
| Waiting time | Cancer site; treatment; no. of patients (median waiting time, wk) [and 25th–75th percentile, wk] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast | Cervix | Tonsil and larynx | ||
| Chemotherapy | No chemotherapy | |||
| Between surgery or biopsy and first consultation | 571 (13.6) [6.1–21.6] | 675 (7.0) [4.4–9.9] | 184 (2.4) [0.9–4.3] | 268 (3.1) [2.0–4.5] |
| Between first RT consultation and RT simulation | 571 (7.4) [2.0–18.0] | 675 (1.9) [0.9–3.4] | 184 (1.7) [0.7–2.8] | 268 (1.7) [1.0–2.7] |
| Between first RT simulation and first RT | 574 (2.6) [1.6–4.0] | 682 (2.1) [1.4–3.3] | 193 (1.6) [1.0–2.1] | 276 (2.1) [1.6–2.9] |
| Total waiting time between surgery or biopsy and first RT | 581 (29.7) [22.3–33.9] | 690 (12.0) [9.0–15.3] | 199 (5.7) [3.1–9.4] | 284 (7.3) [5.9–9.1] |
| Time between last chemotherapy and first RT | 581 (5.3) [4.1–7.0] | — | — | — |
↵* Calculated for patients with valid dates.