Testing the Timing: Time Factor in Radiation Treatment for Head and Neck Cancers

Opinion statement

Overall radiation treatment time has long been recognized as an important factor in head and neck tumor control. The concern of tumor growth in waiting time either before starting radiotherapy or during treatment is substantial given its negative impact on clinical outcome. There is an overwhelming evidence that increasing the time to initiate treatment increases the tumor burden and worsens the prognosis. This effect is more pronounced especially in patients with an early stage cancer disease. Delay in treatment initiation is contributed by both health care- and patient-related factors. Health care-related factors include advancement in diagnostic modalities and transfer of patient to academic health care centers accompanied by delayed referrals and long-awaited appointments. Patient-related factors include delayed reporting time and socioeconomic factors. An efficient transition of care along with access of cancer care modalities to community health care centers will not only improve the quality of care in secondary health care centers but also help decrease the patient burden in tertiary centers. A quick and well-structured multidisciplinary appointment program is fundamental in shortening the time required for patient referrals, thus increasing the optimal survival time for Head and Neck cancer patients with early initiation of treatment.

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