Reducing time from colon cancer surgery to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy: pilot project

Can J Surg. 2020 May 8;63(3):E223-E225. doi: 10.1503/cjs.000219.

Abstract

Surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with stage III colon cancer. To shorten the time interval between surgery and chemotherapy in patients with colon cancer, we instituted a standardized referral pathway. Evaluation of the intervention demonstrated that referring our patients with colon cancer to a medical oncologist earlier in the treatment process increased the number of patients in whom chemotherapy was initiated within 8 weeks compared with historical controls. These results support early medical oncology referral at institutions where delays in adjuvant chemotherapy initiation exist.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Colectomy / methods*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Colonic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Time Factors
  • Time-to-Treatment / trends*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents