Patients are experiencing longer delays for definitive cancer surgery, with median wait times increasing across multiple malignancies since 2012.

• Median wait times from diagnosis to first surgery rose for breast cancer from 34 to 45 days, and for lung cancer from 41 to 53 days.
• Delays are significantly longer at academic centers and for patients referred for care.

Surgeons should consider the implications of these delays in treatment planning to optimize patient outcomes.

• Key factors for prolonged wait include Medicaid insurance, low income, and increased travel distance.