Risk of Death Jumps by 13% for Every 4-Week Delay in Cancer Treatment

The Chinese saying has it, “treat the ailment before it turns too serious”. It means that if treatment is started at an early stage, the less severe treatment can be used and the better the outcome and chance of recovery. The same applies to the treatment of cancer patients whose treatments were affected when the COVID-19 pandemic raged through the city. Due to the medical focus shift on the fight against the pandemic, coupled with the closure and isolation policies, treatment for cancer patients had been delayed, including surgery, chemotherapy, electrotherapy ....... etc., which had done serious impact on cancer patients.

According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, a 1-month delay in treatment for cancer patients is associated with a 6% to 13% increase in the risk of death. The longer you wait for treatment, the higher the risk. The survey was conducted by academics at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, who reviewed and analysed 34 cancer cases over the past 20 years involving more than 1.2 million patients with bladder, breast, colon, rectal, lung, cervical and head and neck cancers who had undergone surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The study analysed the impact of delayed treatment on cancer patients and showed that a 4-week delay in surgical treatment was associated with a 6-8% increase in the risk of death while the same period delay in electrotherapy and chemotherapy is associated with a 9% and 13% increase respectively. The longer the delay in treatment, the higher the mortality rate, with the risk of death increasing to 26% if treatment is delayed by 12 weeks.

This review will be conducive for the medical organisation to formulate policies that will not delay the treatment of cancer patients. The waiting period for cancer patients in Hong Kong is lengthy in public hospitals. There is a long gap between the first consultation and the start of treatment for many cancer patients. That’s why some doctors suggest that patients can arrange for themselves to start the first stage of treatment in the private sector and then transfer to the public sector when the waiting time is up. This approach allows patients to budget more realistically for the cost of treatment and, most importantly, to take advantage of the prime time for treatment to improve survival rates and treatment outcomes.