Addressing Wait Times for Endometrial Cancer Surgery in Ontario

Objective: Wait times for cancer surgery in Ontario have increased over the last decade. We reviewed trends in wait times for endometrial cancer surgery from 1996 to 2000 and identified determinants that may need to be addressed in order to reduce these wait times. Methods: The study population included women diagnosed with endometrial cancer (ICD-9 codes 179 or 182) prior to surgery. Surgical wait time was defined as the interval between date of diagnosis and hospital admission for surgery. Univariate analyses assessed demographic, treatment, and hospital factors associated with wait times. A multilevel linear regression model was created to account for clustering of patients at the hospital level and regional level defined by local health integration networks (LHINs). Effects of covariates were expressed as estimates of the median proportional change in wait time. Results: There were 2042 cases in this analysis. Mean wait time increased from 32 to 40 days (P = 0.0012). Prolonged wait times were associated with age > 70 years, presence of comorbidities, and surgery performed at a teaching hospital and by a gynaecologic oncologist. Wait times were not associated with income level or region of residence defined by LHIN. Conclusion: Wait times for endometrial cancer surgery have increased significantly in Ontario. Determinants of these prolonged wait times need to be addressed, and criteria for referral to a teaching hospital and gynaecologic oncologist should be developed to ensure that local health integration networks provide equal and timely access to care.