TABLE II.
Median wait times for investigation and treatment
| Investigation or treatment interval | Pts (n) | Recommended target (days) | Measured wait [median (IQR) days] | Patients within target [n (%)] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation | 551 | |||
| Referral to first appointment | 551 | 14 | 6 (4, 10) | 461 (84) |
| Referral to chest computed tomography imaging | 189a | 14 | 5 (1, 7) | 174 (92) |
| Biopsy to pathology result | 551 | 14 | 3 (2, 4) | 550 (99.8) |
| Request for EGFR and ALK testing to result | 172 | 14 | 5 (3, 6) | 169 (98) |
| Treatment | 379 | |||
| Respirology consultation to time of surgery | 210 | 56 | 59 (41, 80) | 100 (48) |
| Operative decision to time of surgery | 210 | 28 | 8 (2, 21) | 180 (86) |
| Surgery to commencing adjuvant chemotherapy | 42 | 120 | 44 (36, 55) | 41 (98) |
| RO referral to RO consultation | 211 | 7 | 4 (2, 7) | 166 (79) |
| RO referral to commencing definitive radiation | 65b | 28 | 26 (22, 34) | 41 (63) |
| Diagnosis to commencing definitive chemoradiation | 48 | 180 | 27 (13, 34) | 48 (100) |
| RO referral to commencing palliative radiation | 96 | 14 | 8 (6, 16) | 69 (72) |
| Decision for chemotherapy to commencing chemotherapy | 117c | 7 wd | 4 wd (2, 6) | 103 (88) |
a
Most patients had undergone chest computed tomography imaging before referral.
b
Includes stereotactic body radiation therapy, radical external-beam radiation, and concurrent chemoradiation.
c
Includes palliative chemotherapy and sequential chemoradiation (radiation planning was usually the limiting factor for concurrent chemoradiation).
Pts = patients; IQR = interquartile range; RO = radiation oncology; wd = working days.