Veterans May Not Receive Immediate Treatment for Cancer

Adults diagnosed with colon or rectal cancers are experiencing longer wait times before receiving cancer treatment, according to Reuters.

The growing treatment delays may not be specific to VA centers alone, and whether the delays are tied to worse outcomes, as previous studies have found for breast and other cancers, is unknown, researchers said.

"Our study identified a trend in increasing wait times at VA hospitals that will most certainly continue in the next decade," lead study author Dr. Ryan P. Merkow told Reuters Health, adding that "large, academic institutions also are dealing with similar issues."

"Nevertheless," he said in an email, "these are cancer patients, and living and waiting for definitive treatment for a prolonged period can have psychological effects that should not be overlooked."

Dr. Edward Brooks, from the American Cancer Society (ACS), agreed that treatment delays can cause "significant anxiety among patients." He acknowledged, "there should be some degree of concern" about the recent findings. "How much (concern) is not entirely clear," said Brooks, who is director of prostate and colorectal cancers in the Cancer Control Science Department of the ACS but was not involved in the study.

Roughly 3 percent of all cancers in the U.S. are treated in VA Medical Centers. Colon and rectal cancers, which represent 11 percent of all cancers, are the third leading cause of cancer-related death among both men and women, according to ACS.

Deaths from colorectal cancers have declined due to improved screening and treatment, but prior to the current study, there was little research on the amount of time patients waited for treatment after being diagnosed.