The New Zealand medical journal · 2026
Wait times at Christchurch Hospital for adjuvant breast irradiation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Robinson Junya, James Melissa L, Frampton Chris
Аннотация
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to quantify wait times for adjuvant breast radiotherapy at Christchurch Hospital following surgery or completion of chemotherapy, with specific attention to the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on service delivery.
METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of patients with breast cancer who initiated adjuvant radiotherapy between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 at Christchurch Hospital. Wait times were defined as the interval (in days) from final surgery or chemotherapy to the first fraction of radiotherapy. Median wait times were tabulated and graphed to determine trend lines accounting for the COVID-19 lockdown periods affecting Canterbury, New Zealand.
RESULTS: The cohort included 682 patients. Median wait time to radiotherapy from surgery was 72 days and from adjuvant chemotherapy was 36 days. A statistically significant increase in wait times was observed from surgery to radiotherapy of 7.2 days per annum (95% confidence interval 6.84-7.65 days, p<0.001). An initial increase in wait times was followed by a comparative reduction during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
CONCLUSION: Wait times for adjuvant breast radiotherapy have increased at Christchurch Hospital from 2018 to 2022. Although COVID-19 restrictions temporarily reduced delays, sustained increases suggest multifactorial pressures. Excessive delays to commencing radiation should be minimised to reduce the risk of locoregional recurrence.
METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of patients with breast cancer who initiated adjuvant radiotherapy between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 at Christchurch Hospital. Wait times were defined as the interval (in days) from final surgery or chemotherapy to the first fraction of radiotherapy. Median wait times were tabulated and graphed to determine trend lines accounting for the COVID-19 lockdown periods affecting Canterbury, New Zealand.
RESULTS: The cohort included 682 patients. Median wait time to radiotherapy from surgery was 72 days and from adjuvant chemotherapy was 36 days. A statistically significant increase in wait times was observed from surgery to radiotherapy of 7.2 days per annum (95% confidence interval 6.84-7.65 days, p<0.001). An initial increase in wait times was followed by a comparative reduction during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
CONCLUSION: Wait times for adjuvant breast radiotherapy have increased at Christchurch Hospital from 2018 to 2022. Although COVID-19 restrictions temporarily reduced delays, sustained increases suggest multifactorial pressures. Excessive delays to commencing radiation should be minimised to reduce the risk of locoregional recurrence.