Table 2.
Time to chemotherapy (TTC).
| Author/Year [References] |
Country | Design | Study Period | No. of Patients | Age (Median/Mean) | End Point(s) | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gagliato Dde M, 2014 [33] |
USA | Retrospective review | 1997–2011 | 6827 | 50 | Association between TTC (≤30, 31–60, and ≥61 d) after surgery and 5-year OS, RFS and DRFS | Stage I: no difference. Stage II: worse DRFS for ≥31 d. Stage III: worse OS, RFS and DRFS for TTC ≥ 61 d. TNBC and HER2 tumors had worse OS for TTC ≥ 61 d |
| Kupstas AR, 2019 [34] |
USA | Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected NCDP data | 2010–2014 | 172,043 | 55 | Impact of surgery type on TTC, and impact of TTC (< or > 120 d) from diagnosis on OS | Chemotherapy initiation >120 d after diagnosis was associated with poorer OS. Time from diagnosis to surgery had the greatest impact on time from diagnosis to chemotherapy. Reconstructive surgeries resulted in the greatest delays |
| Morante Z 2021 [35] |
Peru | Retrospective review | 2000–2014 | 687 | 48 | Impact of TTC (≤30, 31–60, 61–90 and ≥91 d) after surgery on OS and DRFS for TNBC | TTC ≥ 30 d was associated with poorer OS and DRFS |
| Raphael MJ, 2016 [36] |
Canada | Systematic review and meta-analysis. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria | NA | NA | 47–51 | Relationship between TTC after surgery and OS | A 4-week increase in TTC was associated with significant increase in risk of death |
| Heeg E, 2020 [37] |
Netherlands | Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected NCR data | 2009–2014 | 3016 | Impact of TTC > 30 d after surgery on 10-year OS | TTC > 30 d associated with worse OS in BCS patients, but not in mastectomy | |
| Pomponio MK, 2019 [38] |
USA | Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data | 2009–2018 | 724 | 55 | Impact of TTC (≤31, 32–42, 43–56 and >56 d) from surgery on DFS and OS in TNBC | Mastectomy with reconstruction associated with delayed TTC. No difference in DFS or OS for TTC > 56 d vs. ≤31 d |
| Hershman DL, 2006 [39] |
USA | Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected SEER data | 1992–1999 | 5003 | NA (all patient ≥ 65) | Factors associated with longer TTC, and impact of TTC (within 1 mo, 1–2 mo, 2–3 mo and >3 mo) on OS and CSS | Delays associated with advanced age, early stage, rural location, unmarried, mastectomy, HR-positive and no radiotherapy. Worse OS and CSS for TTC >3 mo, no difference for TTC < 1–3 mo |
CSS: Cancer-specific survival; d: days; DFS: disease-free survival; DRFS: distant recurrence-free survival; HR: hazard ratio; mo: months; OS: overall survival; RFS: relapse-free survival; TNBC: triple-negative breast cancer; TTC: time to chemotherapy; Yr: year.