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Purpose <p>To examine the prevalence and characteristics of cancer patients in Australia who experienced a delay in starting treatment, according to best practice standards in the Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs).</p> Methods <p>A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 640 adults who accessed Cancer Council Queensland subsidised accommodation while receiving cancer care in a major city. Treatment delay was defined as a diagnosis-to-treatment interval exceeding OCP recommendations.</p> Results <p>The median time from diagnosis to treatment was 4.4&#xa0;weeks (interquartile range: 2.1–8.9&#xa0;weeks). Of the 494 participants whose data were assessable against OCPs, 199 (40%) experienced a treatment delay. Delay was not associated with age, gender, geographic remoteness, comorbidities, or treatment modality. Participants without private health insurance had higher odds of delay compared to those with insurance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–2.78), and participants with breast (aOR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14–0.74) or skin (aOR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.09–0.61) cancers had lower odds of delay than those with other cancer types.</p> Conclusion <p>Adherence to OCP recommendations was low compared to the generally accepted quality target of 70–85%, with two in five cancer patients experiencing a delay in commencing treatment. Low adherence to these recommendations underscores the need to strengthen system-wide support and accountability measures, particularly for those facing disparities in access to cancer care related to health insurance status and cancer type.</p>

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Time from diagnosis to treatment: Are cancer patients who travel for treatment receiving optimal care in Australia?

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月10日

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  • Susannah K. Ayre,
  • Michael Ireland,
  • Alyssa Taglieri-Sclocchi,
  • Xanthia E. Bourdaniotis,
  • Sonja March,
  • Fiona Crawford-Williams,
  • Jeff Dunn,
  • Suzanne K. Chambers,
  • Belinda C. Goodwin,
  • Elizabeth A. Johnston

摘要

Purpose

To examine the prevalence and characteristics of cancer patients in Australia who experienced a delay in starting treatment, according to best practice standards in the Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs).

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 640 adults who accessed Cancer Council Queensland subsidised accommodation while receiving cancer care in a major city. Treatment delay was defined as a diagnosis-to-treatment interval exceeding OCP recommendations.

Results

The median time from diagnosis to treatment was 4.4 weeks (interquartile range: 2.1–8.9 weeks). Of the 494 participants whose data were assessable against OCPs, 199 (40%) experienced a treatment delay. Delay was not associated with age, gender, geographic remoteness, comorbidities, or treatment modality. Participants without private health insurance had higher odds of delay compared to those with insurance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–2.78), and participants with breast (aOR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14–0.74) or skin (aOR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.09–0.61) cancers had lower odds of delay than those with other cancer types.

Conclusion

Adherence to OCP recommendations was low compared to the generally accepted quality target of 70–85%, with two in five cancer patients experiencing a delay in commencing treatment. Low adherence to these recommendations underscores the need to strengthen system-wide support and accountability measures, particularly for those facing disparities in access to cancer care related to health insurance status and cancer type.