Publication date: Aug 14, 2026
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. 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. 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
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |
| disease | MESH | breast cancer |
| pathway | KEGG | Breast cancer |
| disease | MESH | included |