ArticleJournal of oncology practice2013
Efficiency of colorectal cancer care among veterans: analysis of treatment wait times at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.
Article in Journal of oncology practice, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Current Use of Telemedicine for Post-Discharge Surgical Care: A Systematic Review.Journal of the American College of Surgeons · 2016Pooled it
- Timeliness of Colorectal Cancer Care in Veterans: The Role of Travel Distance.Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Disparities in Wait Times for Care Among US Veterans by Race and Ethnicity.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- Cancer tracking system improves timeliness of liver cancer care at a Veterans Hospital: A comparison of cohorts before and after implementation of an automated care coordination tool.PLOS digital health · 2022Article
- Article
- Racial Comparisons in Timeliness of Colon Cancer Treatment in an Equal-Access Health System.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2020Article
- Cancer Incidence Among Patients of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 2010 Update.Military medicine · 2017Article
- Delay in Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment for Colorectal Cancer Patients in Jordan.Journal of gastrointestinal cancer · 2016Article
- The effect of pre-existing mental health comorbidities on the stage at diagnosis and timeliness of care of solid tumor malignances in a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center.Cancer medicine · 2015Article
- Lung and colorectal cancer treatment and outcomes in the Veterans Affairs health care system.Cancer management and research · 2015Review
- Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Treatment Delay Within Appalachia--The Role of For-Profit Hospitals.The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeTimeliness of cancer treatment is an important aspect of health care quality. Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) are expected to treat a growing number of patients with cancer. Our objectives were to examine treatment times from diagnosis to first-course therapy for patients with colon and rectal cancers and assess factors associated with prolonged wait times.
methodsFrom the VA Central Cancer Registry, patients who underwent colon or rectal resection for cancer from 1998 to 2008 were identified. Time from diagnosis to definitive cancer-directed therapy was measured, and multivariable regression methods were used to determine predictors of prolonged wait times for colon (≥ 45 days) and rectal (≥ 60 days) cancers.
resultsFrom 124 VAMCs, 14,097 patients underwent colectomy, and 3,390 underwent rectal resection for cancer. For colon cancer, the median time to treatment increased by 68% over time (P < .001). From 2007 to 2008, the median time to colectomy was 32 days. Predictors of prolonged wait times included age ≥ 55 years (v < 55 years), time period (2007 to 2008 v 1998 to 2000), black race (v white), marriage status (married v unmarried), high-volume center status (v low volume), and treatment at a different hospital (v same hospital as initial diagnosis; all P < .05). For rectal cancer, the overall median time to first-course treatment increased by 74% (P < .001). From 2007 to 2008, the median time to proctectomy was 47 days. Similar predictors of prolonged wait times were identified for rectal cancer.
conclusionTime to first treatment has increased for patients with colon and rectal cancers at VAMCs. Patient, tumor, and hospital factors are associated with prolonged time to treatment.
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Registered trials
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