Wait times between lung cancer diagnosis and surgery: national trends, disparities, and impact on long-term survival.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The survival difference associated with delays between lung cancer diagnosis and definitive surgery is poorly defined in contemporary practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of treatment delays, trends in wait times, and survival impact in a national cohort.

Methods

All patients with stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing anatomic resection in the U.S. from 2004 to 2018 were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). The association between survival and the interval between diagnosis and surgery was evaluated. Cox regression, logistic regression, and propensity score matching were used to adjust for differences in patient characteristics.

Results

Between 2004-2018, 1,898,210 patients were diagnosed with lu

SUBMITTER: Perez C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12433072 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature