Waiting times in cancer care is a patient safety risk that needs increased attention. Mechanisms and effects need to be clarified, waiting time statistics should be openly presented and evidence--based strategies should be implemented. Cancer patient pathways are implemented in Sweden during 2015-2018 and are expected to reduce waiting times for some patient groups, but cannot be expected to present a complete solution to the waiting time problem. Strategic work on waiting times requires knowledge about the differ-ent symptom profiles in various cancer types, understanding of the impact from waiting times in different cancer types and increased knowledge about the mechanisms in the health care system that cause waiting times.