How long can treatment be delayed after the diagnosis of cancer?

One of the main characteristics of cancer is uncontrolled malignant cell growth. Therefore, the sooner treatment is started after the diagnosis, the lesser the spread of the disease, the less aggressive and invasive the treatment, and the longer the survival.

In the case of gynecologic cancer, numerous scientific studies have associated a delay in treatment with worse survival in women with ovarian and endometrial (uterine) cancer, for example.

The diagnosis of cancer often causes great uncertainty, fear, and doubts in the patients as well as their relatives and friends. The haste of the patients to start treatment is frequent and understandable. However, I would like to insist on two important aspects in this context.

The first item is that, in some cases, it becomes necessary and mandatory to perform certain diagnostic studies to adequately know the spread of the disease, and with that establish the best therapeutic strategy. While this process might take a while, it is important to not delay it further than some days or a week.

This delay is therefore not only understandable but essential. In any case, the team of professionals in charge must precisely know what type of studies to perform and when to request them; and also work coordinately with the rest of the involved departments so these waiting times are as short as possible. Thus, sometimes we have to get Radiologists and Pathologists specializing in gynecologic cancer involved, or Interventionist Radiologists, among others.

The second aspect is that cancer is today a very complex disease that requires the participation of professionals specializing in a comprehensive understanding of the problem. For example, in our case, there are professionals who specialize in Gynecologic Oncology for 4 years after finishing our Gynecology residency to deeply understand each oncologic disease of the female genital organs. Thus we can offer more innovative and effective treatments, reducing mortality, and offering the maximal cure expectations according to each case. We are multidisciplinary teams where we comprehensively approach each patient’s problems to make the best diagnostic and therapeutic decision. In this sense, multiple scientific studies have shown that women with gynecologic cancer live longer and better when they undergo surgery by Gynecologic Oncologists.

Ultimately, the haste in starting oncologic treatment as soon as possible is understandable. While it is often delayed because of the diagnostic process to decide the best treatment option, this delay must be as short as possible. Also, it is important to receive treatment by professionals with adequate training in a disease as complex as cancer today.

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