Delays for diagnosis and treatment of lung cancers: a systematic review

Background and aims: The impact of diagnosis and treatment delays for non-small cell lung cancer management is poorly understood, even if the literature on the subject is currently increasing in importance. We have few indicators that can serve as reference for quality assurance actions. The objective of this review was to review the literature on the subject.

Methods: A literature search, using the words 'human lung cancer delay' and 'human lung cancer waiting time', was undertaken in Medline database.

Results: Several studies analyzed these delays mostly in a monocentric setting. There is an important variability in the definition of these delays, in the collection methods and in the results obtained. However, it seems distinctly clear that long delays are frequently observed in less symptomatic patients and, therefore, are accompanied by better prognosis.

Conclusion: More standardized definitions and procedures to calculate time intervals between cancer diagnosis and treatment should be implemented to better understand the delays of lung cancer management.